Thursday, July 7, 2011

Chicken Dreams Do Come True.

Years and years ago I read an article somewhere about a family raising backyard chickens. It was before I knew folks who had them and I was intrigued.

It wasn't the eggs, or the idea of funny-cute chickens running around that made me want them so badly that day. No, no. It was how fun I thought it would be to have chickens and make them their own mailbox so the neighborhood kids could send them letters. That is what the family in the article did.

They had a chicken mailbox on their chicken coop.
And their chickens got love letters.

Yes please!

I am a sucker for that kind of stuff.

Now to present times-I still want chickens but for normal reasons. (Not just crazy reasons.) I want eggs and I want funny-cute chickens running around and I want to share the experience of raising baby chicks with the kids. Plus, I hope to find a vegetable gardener willing to trade veggies for eggs next spring.

Above are the very official and to scale plans for the coop.

I love how Jeff didn't blink an eye when I interrupted him mowing the lawn the other day saying I had committed to 20 chicks to be hatched at the end of August. He finished the lawn, drew up his coop idea and started collecting wood and measuring things.

Here is where the coop and covered run will go. There, to the right of the workshop. Good beginning structure and looks as though chickens may have been there years before.

(Funny how Minna is very willing to be in pictures when I kind of just want documentary photos or something. Never that easy when I want portraits of her. hmm?)

Anyway, Minna says, "There is where the chicken's are gonna live!"

They get a nice long and tall coop, with 5-6 nesting boxes and kid-friendly hatches for egg collecting.

And here is where the outer run will go. It will be plenty big, giving the 20 (or so) chickens lots of room to roam. It will encompass what is now called the "chicken tree". Only by me, as usual. At least when I say, "over by the chicken tree" everyone knows what I am talking about even if they don't call it that.

Here is the best soon-to-be chicken dad ever, building away.

And, yes, of course I still have to have a chicken mailbox. I told Jeff where I want it to go and he just asked, "So, like PO box slots for each one? Or just a plain mailbox?"

Again! Not even a raised eyebrow!
Man! Me and my soon-to-be chickens are lucky!

A lot has to happen before those chicks are born. Including a trip to California (for the kids and me) and lots of building and supply gathering (for Jeff).

Stay tuned for more of my chicken dream come true!


  1. Wow, very cool. And what a guy, your Jeff!

  2. Nice. That wire width won't hold a baby chick though. Might want to string some chicken wire on the bottom before they hatch.

  3. Oh don't worry. The babies are gonna be somewhere else while they get their feathers. Then they will move in when the coop and run are all spiffed up and chicken proofed. (and predator proofed). :)

  4. Hi Natalie....our chickens are fun....the girls love them....they still give us about 4 to 6 eggs a day....good stuff.

    PS - we are coming to Alaska next week. We will be on a cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. Hope all is well with you and the family!!

    -Justin, Sharry, Haley & Willow.