The Monument Street Coop

Luxury Egg-laying

2010-12-27T10:04:00.005-05:00

I saw this article in the New York Times today...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/garden/23goods.html?ref=garden

For a cool $3500 you can purchase your own "modernist, high-end" coop (and then assemble it of course). With its 3 levels - a "run" level, a nesting level and a roosting level - the coop was supposedly designed for "discriminating" poultry.

Ah, discriminating poultry. Does that mean they don't poop all over everything? I'd love to see a photo of this coop 6 months in...

What to do with those giant zucchini????

2010-07-16T12:28:00.004-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

It happens almost overnight. To all of us. Those gorgeous zucchini flowers suddenly become GIANT ZUCCHINI. Cavemen-size clubs of greenness. Eek! What to do with them?

Here is my family's tried and true recipe for Zucchini Soup. It's a bit old-fashioned, but it is creamy and yummy and fantastic hot or cold. And it uses up those zucchini in a way that is elegant and easy. Try substituting creme fraiche for the sour cream!

Zucchini Soup

1 1/2 lb. zucchini (3-5) cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup minced shallots or onions, chopped
3 Tabsp. butter
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. wine vinegar
3/4 tsp dill or tarragon (I use dill)
4 Tbsp. cream of wheat
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper

Cook the onions slowly in the butter until golden but not brown. Add the zucchini chunks, chicken broth, vinegar and herbs. Bring to a boil and then add cream of wheat, stirring into the soup. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes. Puree with a handheld mixer or in the blender, season with salt and pepper, and just before serving, mix in the sour cream.

Let me know what you think!

Cuckoo for Colored Eggs

2010-04-13T20:05:00.006-04:00

I'm cuckoo for chickens that lay colored eggs. We had one Araucana with colored egg laying potential but alas Rosie turned out to be a rooster and if you've been following The Monument Street Coop's blog then you know how that turned out. . .

I've been terribly jealous the entire year that Red Bird Farm's coop has been producing beautiful blue and green eggs. I'm always thrilled when Isabella asks me to stop by the coop and check on the chickens when the Ehrlich's are away --because that means I get to bring home gorgeous colored eggs.

While Sweet & Savory is producing plenty (3 - 4 eggs a day) I feel I must have a few colored eggs in my life. Enter MyPetChicken.com a great resource for chicken lovers. They have a three chick minimum on orders and a great assortment of unique birds. Many states have minimums in order to avoid one-off purchases for over enthusiastic Easter egg basket fillers. Massachusetts for example requires a minimum purchase of 25 pre-Easter and 6 post. New Hampshire has a 12 chick minimum.

I'm eagerly awaiting my order currently scheduled to ship the week of May 24th. Four little chicks are headed our way: two Cuckoo Marans and Two "Easter eggers" i.e. Araucanas.

Silver Cuckoo Maran (chocolate brown egg layer)

I'm looking forward to chick-rearing again. I Just hope the newbies are accepted into the flock come mid-July when it is time to introduce them to their coop mates. I'll be disappointed if my only access to colored eggs is during vacation week at the Ehrlichs.

Femivores = Chicks with chicks

2010-03-16T17:14:00.003-04:00

My friend Leah just called me about a recent article in The New York Times Magazine "The Femivore's Dilemma". Definitely worth a read and in my case a bit of a laugh. Backyard chicken farming is (according to the article) transforming the definition of homemaker. There is something to be said for that. As a former working woman who found great satisfaction in her career the transition to staying home with my daughter has definitely tested my sense of self. Success is no longer measured by boardroom presentation skills but by nap time preparations and potty training.

I've found great satisfaction with my chicken coop and love being home with my daughter. But I don't disagree with the author's closing --we backyard chicken farmers need to be careful not to put all of our eggs in one basket.

Bunny Rescue

2010-01-29T08:08:00.006-05:00

As I'm sure you've read Isabella, Tim and August added two adorable bunnies to Red Bird Farm. Isabella has a knack for gathering animals around her and I seem to have a knack for following in her footsteps. One of her two cute bunnies, originally adopted from our friend Hilary, has made its way over to our yard.

Unfortunately, after a successful entry into Isabella's coop the bunnies while getting along well with the chickens were not happy together. Peter Rabbit aka Cottontail aka Peekaboo otherwise known as the black bunny (the poor thing probably has identity issues he's been renamed so many times) was attacking the other Peter Rabbit aka Flopsy otherwise known as the brown bunny.

To make a long story short we came to the brown bunny's rescue by agreeing to take the black bunny.

Peter Rabbit is now living in a new hutch in our backyard.

He seems very happy snacking on papaya, carrots and yogurt bites. I go out and check on him numerous times throughout the day. Especially with this cold weather as his water dispenser freezes and needs to be changed at least twice a day.

His next move will be into our coop. We intended to put him in there right away but the hutch I bought quickly --without taking any measurements, doesn't fit through the door of the run. My husband had graciously offered to dismantle part of the run so we can squeeze the hutch in.

Hopefully Peter and the chickens will get along I'd hate to have to move him again. Poor thing. He's like a foster kid with one too many homes. I'm hoping to make this recent move his last. Will keep you posted!

We are happy to have him. Izzie LOVES her bunny!

Leave a light on

2010-01-06T20:03:00.008-05:00

With winter comes reduced daylight hours and often a reduction in egg production. My four gals went from one egg a day on average down to one egg between the four of them as soon as it started turning dark at 4:30. While I love the hens, I also love the eggs they produce so I decided to take action. We installed a lightbulb the coop. IT WORKED! We are back up to three or four eggs a day and I get a total kick out of going out in the evening to see the coop all lit up.

No one sleeps in here until 9:30 (we have the light on a timer)

Chilly but inviting. . .

Animal Friends

2009-12-13T15:41:00.007-05:00

Sometimes my husband amazes me. A year ago he didn't know how to build anything. Now we have a finished coop and run that he basically built (with the help of some friends).

I asked him to build me a bunny ramp... and voilà! He built it quickly and installed it. I was so impressed and grateful. Thanks, Tim. You must love me a lot :)

Here one of my Orpingtons - curious gal that she is - braves the ramp. The bunnies haven't quite figured it out, but the chickens immediately were curious.

I am not exactly sure how chickens and bunnies become friends, but I followed my friend Terry Golson's instructions/advice on her blog. She's my go-to gal for all backyard animal farming information.

Here the bunnies pose - we took our Christmas card photo this morning. Cottontail is on the left, Peter is on the right. August renamed them even though their original names are Floppy (left) and Peekaboo (right).

I also realized today what a wonderful dog I have. He drives me crazy sometimes with his needy golden retriever traits, but he's remarkable. He didn't bark at the rabbits. He wanted to play with them. He kept circling the run, but when I told him to lie down, he did.

Here the chickens eye him. I wanted to get all of my animal friends in one photo... some day!

Snow Birds (and Bunnies)

2009-12-09T15:44:00.004-05:00

Today we had our first big snowfall in Concord. The snow has since turned to freezing rain, but we had enough accumulation that the chickens wouldn't leave the coop.

I shoveled their ramp, and then they were willing to look around.

Only one of my Aracaunas would actually venture out into the snow.

I get asked a lot whether chickens are winter-hardy. Lisanne and I selected breeds that can weather a harsh winter without heat - Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, Aracaunas and Crested Polish. We knew that Drumlin Farm had these breeds and did not have heated coops, so they informed our decision.

I adopted two bunnies this week too, from my friend Hilary (who incidentally has 5 children - no time for rabbits). I put their hutch in the chicken run and will build a ramp for them so that they can run around freely. They're very very cute and friendly - the caramel colored one is Flopsy, and the black one is Peekaboo (he's a little shy).

My farm is expanding!

The Halloween Chicken

2009-10-31T20:33:00.003-04:00

I have to admit this doesn't have anything to do with raising chickens (other than to confirm that we are completely obsessed) but I simply couldn't resist. Have you ever seen anything cuter? Isabella went nuts with a few white feather boas and the result. . . well see for yourself.

Dr. and Mrs. Ehrlich threw an ADORABLE little Halloween party for our little trick-or-treaters

and then we were all off to the town parade.

Happy and Sweet day for all!

P.S. The cute cowboy and baby cow are mine ;-) and the ROAR lion is our little friend William Butler.

Cowboy Fred and Baby Cow Izzie

No Cowardly Lion in these parts

Bye Bye to Salt & Pepper

2009-10-19T13:55:00.005-04:00

This weekend we said goodbye to our two Polish Crested hens Salt & Pepper.

Salt on her last day at Sweet & Savory

Pepper -doesn't she look a bit sad?

Unfortunately they were not very happy in our little coop/run. They are sweet birds but just can't hold their own with the heartier and more aggressive breeds (Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, etc.). So despite how cute and fun they were we had to find them a new home. I was lucky enough to have Terry Golson reply to my posting on the Concord Carlisle Yahoo Chicken Group. She came by with a cage in the back of her car and scooped up Salt & Pepper.

I am happy to report that with new names and a new look --unhenpecked heads-- they are thriving. It feels a little bit like I signed my hens up for the witness protection program. Check them out on Terry's hencam. But shhhh don't tell anyone where they are ;-)

Delicious eggs

2009-10-18T15:56:00.000-04:00

I have gotten some questions on how our eggs taste. Quite simply? They're delicious.

Not only do our eggs taste different from store-bought eggs, but their texture is noticeably different. Their whites are much lighter and fluffier. The whites hold their shape and do not spread out all over the pan... this is because the proteins have not broken down as in old eggs. FYI, most of the eggs you buy in the supermarket are 2-3 months old. YUCK. The yolks are almost orange, which reflects the richness and variety of the chickens' diet (greens and corn make their yolks darker).

August and Tim have eggs for breakfast every morning. Scrambled, soft-boiled, fried and poached (inspired by Bread and Jam for Frances). Often an omelette. They're simply delicious when they're the star.

However Lisanne and I took a wonderful cooking class at Barbara Lynch's Stir, where they were teaching recipes from the Tartine cookbook. Tartine is a French bakery in San Francisco that we used to frequent often on weekends (and stand in line with the rest of their devotees).

This quiche was unbelievably light and savory. In the class we made it with fresh chard - we just threw in raw strips before baking. We blindbaked the crust in a 9-inch pastry ring and doubled the recipe below to fill it. I would share the crust recipe with you... but Lisanne and I are both still struggling with it. We've now made this quiche several times and the dough is "melting" once we start baking the crust. We can't figure it out.

However we have used other pie crust recipes and they work great. I'm warning you... this recipe is like crack. You can add whatever you like to the egg mixture. However if you use bacon or pancetta, render it first. There is no cheese in this quiche. The creme fraiche gives it a custard-y lightness that is simply divine.

Tartine Quiche

5 large eggs
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup crème fraîche
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground back pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Place 1 egg and flour in bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and mix at high speed. Whisk/mix the remaining 4 eggs until blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk the crème fraîche until perfectly smooth, then whisk in the milk. Pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve held over the milk mixture. Whisk in the salt, pepper and thyme.

Pour egg mixture into 10-inch fully baked deep tart or pie shell. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes or longer.

The center of the quiche should feel slightly firm. Let quiche cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes to allow the custard to set up, so it will slice neatly. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

Yield 6-8 servings.

Blue Poo

2009-10-08T10:07:00.004-04:00

Lisanne and I participate in a CSA (community supported agriculture) run by Drumlin Farm. The vegetables have been great, but sometimes we get things that go right to the chickens.

This week it was a purple cabbage. I don't like cooked cabbage, and it's too cold for a slaw these days. But the chickens love cabbage!

Unfortunately, the resulting poop was... blue. Remarkably blue. Can you believe it?

Sugar & Poppy

2009-09-29T13:54:00.011-04:00

So far so good with the introduction of Sugar and Poppy to the Sweet & Savory flock. There is definitely some hen pecking going on and Sugar spent much of the first day sitting in the doorway between the coop and the run blocking the others from going in and out. But for the most part they seem to be acclimating as well as can be expected.

Sugar roosting in the doorway

My only concern and perhaps I just need to be patient, is that the upheaval appears to have curbed egg production. Neither Ginger nor Nutmeg has laid an egg in the past two days. The only egg I've seen came from Sugar this morning. Guess that is a good thing, she must be getting comfortable in her new home.

I'm not sure why they all insist on using the same nesting box. Seems a little cramped. . .

Sugar and Ginger sharing the nesting box this morning

Sugar's Egg

The point of the additional two chickens is supposed to be more eggs not less so hopefully things will pick up later this week. Stay tuned. . .

Just us Hens

2009-09-27T15:12:00.006-04:00

Isabella, Isabelle and I went on a little girl's day adventure this morning. . . A trip to Brookside Farm in West Townsend, MA.

Our mission: Purchase two additional hens to augment the Sweet & Savory flock.

I just love going out to look for eggs and have been keenly disappointed when my girls only produce a single egg. Knowing that winter is around the corner and with that comes reduced egg production, I just knew that I wouldn't be happy unless I had multiple egg days in my future.

So our little road trip took us over the river and through the woods; literally thanks to a poorly marked detour. Thank goodness for Crystal (Isabella's GPS).

Well the farm wasn't really a farm, more like a giant chicken factory. Honestly it was a little sketchy. But, the birds appeared healthy, happy and were free-ranging indoors. Apparently the farm is a little on the calmer side these days as they are currently only raising a few thousand birds. Danny, our guide and chicken salesman told us that when he was a child his family was raising 50,000+ birds.

Brookside Farm

Danny and our birds

Of course Isabella wasn't planning on adding to her flock, but just couldn't resist the big beautiful white puffballs otherwise known as white Plymouth Rocks. We went home with three. Two white Plymouth Rocks and a Barred Red.

The chickens are currently in cages in our runs acclimating.

Loading them up

Checking out the new digs

More to come. . .

Nesting Boxes

2009-09-22T09:03:00.003-04:00

8 am - Here are two of my gorgeous Buff Orpingtons laying their eggs. Amazing.

Counting Eggs

2009-09-20T14:50:00.004-04:00

When our chickens first began laying their eggs, we were getting about 2-3 a day. Now the hens have really started laying and we are getting 7-8 a day. Only my Crested Polish and one Ameracauna haven't laid anything at all. I keep a chalkboard in the coop to keep track of the eggs.

I have to say, raising chickens has far exceeded my expectations. Each day I look forward to checking the nesting boxes. Now that the weather is cooling I will likely see the egg production taper off. So when I get a lot of eggs (like today), I feel like I have received a special gift.

The Naughty Chicken

2009-09-04T13:51:00.014-04:00

My chickens have only been laying eggs for two weeks and already I have a problem. One of my Buff Orpingtons eats her own eggs. Voraciously.

I have named her The Naughty Chicken.

Since she repeated the behavior for several days, I emailed the Carlisle Chicken Group for advice. One member suggested I put golf balls or wooden eggs in the nesting boxes. If the chicken pecked at these eggs they wouldn't break and the habit would be broken.

I put wooden eggs in the nesting boxes. This did not work.

Lisanne read in The Encyclopedia of Chickens that I should blow out an egg and fill it with pepper and mustard. Put the egg in the nesting box and let her eat it. A few days of mustard-filled eggs and The Encyclopedia thought my chicken would be cured.

This seemed like a big effort. But I was not quite ready to get rid of her (the only option if I couldn't cure her) and decided to pursue this strategy.

I quarantined The Naughty Chicken in a cage so that she wouldn't teach the other hens her bad behavior. I blew out a Country Hen egg (no way was I wasting one of mine) and filled it partly with mustard. I decided The Naughty Chicken was not going to be swayed by pepper. I reached for the Sriracha. For those who don't know Sriracha, it is a potent jalapeño chili sauce. I use it for Vietnamese cooking.

Here is The Naughty Chicken eating the Sriracha and mustard filled egg with gusto.

This went on for 3 days. But then... she stopped. Here she is in her cage with a wooden egg and the Sriracha egg. She would push the egg around but she wasn't touching it. By the end of a week she even laid two eggs in the cage that she didn't eat.

I don't know if it was the Sriracha. I think she was just lonely for her friends. I am happy to report she is back in the coop, albeit with a Zip tie around her ankle. If she attacks another egg, it will be easy to find her.

Rosie the Rooster

2009-08-16T14:12:00.000-04:00

Despite our best efforts of buying sexed hens both Isabella and I had a rooster amongst our flocks.

Rosemary, dubbed Rosie by my daughter, aka "hawkey" (while in the brooder Isabella referred to her as hawkey --she always had a slightly wild look in her eye) turned out to be a rooster. The crowing was NON-STOP and it wasn't limited to morning. Rosie crowed at 4am, 6am, mid-morning, all-afternoon. It was loud and it was all the time. I now understand why towns have ordinances against roosters.

Rosie the rooster at 3 months

After several weeks of crowing, we eventually found Rosie a new home in NH. Thanks to the egg supplier at the Hancock Farmer's Market Rosie is now in a flock of 200+ birds. While we miss what was the prettiest bird in our flock, we definitely don't miss the crowing.

Roosters

2009-08-15T13:36:00.004-04:00

The art of sexing chickens is apparently only 90% accurate. Lisanne and I have both discovered this and each have a rooster from our original 17 chicks. Unfortunately Lisanne's is a beautiful bird (she'll post photos). Mine is one of the Crested Polish and because he is a) a rooster b) noisy and c) mounting the hens, the ladies have pecked most of the feathers out of his crest.

But he is persistent, and hard to catch, so I have dubbed him Wiley Coyote. He starts crowing at about 5 every morning, which I am sure endears us to our neighbors (even though we live in farm country). He crows about 10 times, then stops for a few minutes and begins again.

Every morning Tim growls, "When are you getting rid of that rooster???"

Initially he was supposed to go to Drumlin Farm to replace their more docile Crested Polish rooster. But they can't take him until the end of the summer. So it's either get rid of Wiley or get a divorce.

You can see what I chose. But I made Tim chase him down.

Here is Wiley in the back of my car, headed to his new "home." Incidentally he wasn't fat enough to eat (even though Lisanne's mother and my father swore they would slaughter the roosters), so he was dropped off with a poultry breeder who takes roosters. Don't ask what happens next...

Fresh Eggs

2009-08-12T13:43:00.004-04:00

WOW! Our first egg. What an amazing thing to wake up, go outside, take a look in the coop and find a perfect, beautiful, egg. That's not exactly how it happened but it was the perfect experience nonetheless. Isabella called to tell me that her chickens started laying. I thought I'd go out and check our coop just in case. . . it turns out that when I flipped open the door to the nesting boxes one slightly imperfect (who gets it right the first time anyway?) white egg was gently resting on its side. I couldn't believe that our little hens had produced their first egg and on the very same day that their former brooder-mates produced theirs. I was eggstatic ;-). Totally worth all of the time, money and effort!

I trucked this little slightly oblong egg all the way to NH to show it off to my parents.

It took me a couple days of consistent laying to determine just who had produced that first egg. It turns out it was either Salt or Pepper our Polish Crested hens. Ginger (Buff Orpington) and Nutmeg (Rhode Island Red) lay brown eggs.

The scene at the coop each morning goes pretty much like this: We head out mid-morning as my daughter calls out "girls got any eggs for me?", open the door and find two lovely brown eggs sitting in the first nesting box to the left.

Izzie gathering eggs

The Polish Crested aren't big layers, we find a white egg about once a week. But Nutmeg and Ginger give us approximately one each a day.

Aren't they beautiful?

Our First Eggs

2009-08-12T13:26:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time since we posted. It has been a challenging summer in many ways but the chickens have provided entertainment and distraction. I can't believe how much they've grown and how different the personalities are between breeds.

I thought someone was playing a trick on me when I went into the coop and discovered THREE blue eggs! Our Ameracaunas (we have two) are an American breed of the Chilean Aracaunas, and lay blue eggs. Our Ameracaunas are not friendly like our Orpingtons or Rhode Island Reds, so it was wonderful to see the gorgeous blue eggs in the nesting box.

Strangely Lisanne's chickens began laying on the same exact day. Stay tuned for her post on her first eggs.

August can't wait until morning for his usual, scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast, but with our very own eggs!

The Birthday Chicken

2009-07-11T14:34:00.010-04:00

Happy Birthday Isabelle. For my daughter's 2nd birthday I spent several hours baking and decorating a chicken cake. It was fun, it was delicious, it was a lot of work, it was totally worth it.

In preparation I tested out several recipes trying to find just the right chocolate cake. I was in need of a recipe that would taste great and hold up to the three dimensional form of the cake once assembled.

I tried the recipe that came with the pan. . . not good, very dry. Tried Martha's moist devil's food. . . not so moist. I know people swear by Martha and I LOVE HER. But I do find that some of her recipes have extraneous steps and then fall a little flat.

At this point I enlisted my mother's help. She tested one of my Grandmother's chocolate cake recipes. A wonderful and easy recipe that has vinegar as one of the ingredients. Strange, delicious and very simple. However, after several phone calls we decided that it wouldn't hold its shape.

Finally I caved and bought a boxed cake mix. The Barefoot Contessa SAVED me. The cake was delicious, the frosting a dream. It held up perfectly and tasted delicious. I'm now thinking that baking a chocolate cake from scratch just isn't worth the effort when such a great mix exists.

In the future, I think I'll try it with a few additional ingredients --maybe a bit of espresso or a dash of cayenne. Something to jazz it up.

The weather was perfect. The cake looked great and Isabelle, complete in a dress with chickens on the bodice (Thank you Chasing Fireflies) had a wonderful time.

Red Bird Farm

2009-05-26T19:33:00.003-04:00

The second half of the Monument Street Coop is released in their coop! We are calling our chicken adventure something a little less sassy, Red Bird Farm.

When we bought the house it was a snowy day, and strangely there were 12 cardinals (TWELVE!) on the crabapple outside the kitchen window. I insisted on Rhode Island Red as part of our flocks (which should not be complicated, but was) so that we could really claim a farm full of red birds.

The glee of wood shavings...

The inside of our coop...

Stay tuned for photos of the almost-finished coop (more siding, paint, sigh...).

AND a post on...

OUR ROOSTER.

Sweet & Savory

2009-05-22T20:37:00.006-04:00

Well we did it. The chickens were introduced to their new digs this past Sunday. What a great feeling. After weeks and weeks of anticipation, chick rearing and coop construction we finally put our five little prospective egg layers in their new home.

We've decided to call our coop Sweet & Savory. Rosemary, Nutmeg, Ginger, Salt and Pepper are quite happy in their new digs. We flanked the chicken run with an herb garden that is rapidly taking off.

I can't wait for eggs.

Sweet & Savory

Happy Birds

A little tight...

2009-05-18T19:29:00.001-04:00

In a panic the other day I separated my flock of 12 into two cages. I was really worried that they were becoming lethargic from so little space. Not ideal to have them separate but a necessary solution as we race to finish the coop.

As you can see, things are getting a little tight...

The First Foray in the Run

2009-05-09T19:18:00.001-04:00

Thanks to our dedicated, former Navy pilot neighbor, our run is finished! One afternoon he brought over the door because "he needed an indoor project." It was so unbelievably nice of him to help us with this part of the construction. And I think this was the worst part (see my Grave Digger post...).

Just for your information, our run is 10' x 20', allowing 10 square feet per bird outside. We have hardware cloth sunk in the ground, 1' down and 2' in. On top of that is dirt, and then play sand. And then about 35 bags of pea gravel (courtesy of Home Depot) to cover the area. We also have a large plastic tub for dirt baths that I intend to sink.

The chickens, which are growing faster than we can build, LOVED being outside. I tote them in a large plastic storage container from the garage to the run and then release them. August is thrilled to be able to run after them and pick them up on his own. (Note: He did drop one of the Orpingtons and injure her foot... perhaps a bit more supervision on my part would have been better).

The dog is also thrilled (as you can see). He is exhausted running after them.

You can start to see the personalities of the hens as they interact with you. The Orpingtons are so curious and almost like dogs - they'll come right up and climb on you.

The Rhode Island Red are also very brave and inquisitive... and they're a week younger.

I can't wait until they're outside for good!

Building a Run

2009-04-28T16:02:00.005-04:00

We spent this past weekend attempting to make some headway on the chicken run. Surprising how time consuming nailing some boards and wire can be. Despite many requests on my part I couldn't seem to get Fred to wear appropriate footwear.

Fred with Flip Flops working on the Run

The Great Outdoors, Part 2

2009-04-26T19:09:00.003-04:00

Since our chicken flocks parted ways, many of our poultry experiences are now separate. That's sad, but fortunately Lisanne and I have each other to call and chat with when we try new things, or the chickens don't seem to be doing well.

After Lisanne's chicken release, I decided to let our chickens out in our fenced raised beds (hopefully avoiding newly planted lettuce). The chickens were thrilled to be outdoors and promptly got down n' dirty with dirt baths.

They do look like they're about to keel over when they're taking baths... and they have no qualms about stepping on each other (particularly each other's heads) to get to the prime dirt. Ah... chickens.

The Great Outdoors

2009-04-24T18:57:00.005-04:00

The Weaver Flock made its first foray into the wonders of the great outdoors today. The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of year and we took advantage of the sunshine to introduce our little ones to the backyard. I think they had fun. I know August and Izzie enjoyed the experience.

August & Isabelle

(funny, I couldn't get her to stay in the gated enclosure last summer)

Chicks in the Grass

Checking Things Out

Enjoying the the Sunshine

(are they pairing up already? maybe we should have gotten six)

We'll be "free ranging" (within the confines of the gate) for the next two days while we finish up the run and whitewash the interior of the coop.

Chicks on the Move

2009-04-21T19:45:00.006-04:00

It was finally time for our little chicks to part ways. Our brooder was the perfect size for the seventeen little chicks we brought home, but now that they are getting bigger space was at a premium and it was time to separate the Weaver and Ehrlich flocks. Isabella and I loaded up her twelve little ones and they made the long journey (300 yards up the street) to their new home.

Chicks in Transport

I have to admit, I was sorry to see the little ones go. I fear our brood is a little sad. Perhaps additional chicks next spring ;-)

The Weaver Flock. . . small and a little lonely

Just call me a Grave Digger

2009-04-21T13:39:00.003-04:00

The worst part of this coop project thus far has been digging the trench for the run. We were advised by many people to dig a foot down, and a foot in so that we could run mesh under the ground to ward off wily digging predators (raccoons, fishers, etc.).

Unfortunately instead of 2 foot wide mesh, we received mesh that was 3 feet wide. Which meant we could either cut off a foot (which in retrospect would have been smarter), or widen the trench. Tim and I chose the latter. It was back breaking and involved removing a lot of roots with a hand saw, but we can always get work as grave diggers.

Here August is helping me fill the hole back in with dirt. Not as bad as digging it out, that's for sure. We are all glad that this part of the job is almost done.

Raising the Roof

2009-04-18T13:37:00.001-04:00

My dad came up yet again to help us build the coop. With our lumber delivery we could finally put up the plywood.

It was another exhausting day. But we cut in the door from the old shed and it finally looks like a little house. Big progress.

Lumber Delivery

2009-04-15T13:29:00.002-04:00

Lisanne was smart. She bought her coop. Why didn't we do that? The advantages are twofold: 1) it's finished and 2) it will likely have cost less than the one that we have built.

Today we got a lumber delivery from Home Depot. $800 later (or something like that), we have Phase 2 of our lumber needs completed. We have 50 bags of pea gravel for the run, plywood, pressure treated lumber for the run, etc. etc.

The best part about the delivery was the flatbed with a forklift attached to it. August thought this was fabulous - and at 8 in the morning no less. What a way to start the day.

Chicks

2009-04-09T22:12:00.005-04:00

Our little ones are thriving. We've been having a blast taking care of them. I fear they are soon going to outgrow their brooder.

An Old Fashioned Coop Raise

2009-04-05T18:22:00.005-04:00

We have joked that this weekend was going to be like that scene from "Witness" (one of my favorite movies by the way). A lot of wood, straw hats and frosty lemonade.

August and his cousin Blair were on hand with serious digging equipment should we need it.

Cousin Jim helped Tim with the framing.

And up it goes... almost like Harrison Ford and Viggo Mortensen. Almost.

I of course played Kelly McGillis - the lemonade was cold and refreshing.

This has been a huge group effort thus far. Friends and family have all participated in getting this coop built. If only it were remotely close to being finished...

Chick Breeds

2009-04-04T12:12:00.001-04:00

Our chicks are so cute it's ridiculous. Each in their own way. As you know, we have four breeds and I wanted to make sure I had photos of them as babies.

Their personalities are already emerging... as expected the Crested Polish are a bit more high maintenance (their pom poms are a source of interest to all the other chicks) but also very curious.

The Buff Orpingtons lead the pack and are pushy. Their color - buff - is distinctly apricot and very pretty. They look just like what you would expect a fluffy chick to look like!

The Rhode Island Red, because they're a week younger than the others, seem to be lying low and are teeny and adorable. This one is falling asleep. They literally keel over when they're tired.

And the Ameracauna are just a bit peculiar. One looks like a hawk (below at left). Not the most attractive (although Lisanne disagrees), but the blue eggs will be wonderful.

Here they are doing what they do best - eating, drinking and pooping. With an emphasis on pooping.

The chick cupcake

2009-04-03T13:09:00.002-04:00

To celebrate our chicks' arrival, our dear friend Leah brought cupcakes made by Party Favors. Needless to say, they were a big hit.

Our Chicks are Here!!!!!!!

2009-04-02T13:49:00.005-04:00

We are beyond excited. I went up to Dodge Grain again with August today to pick up our chicks. I had lots of things planned... but I had to cancel them. I couldn't wait until Friday. Many many thanks to Jim for all the help in planning for our chicks' arrival, and for holding the breeds that we wanted.

I loved hearing them chirp from their box on the drive home. Cheep cheep cheep - they made me SO happy.

Someone "stole" two of our Ameracaunas last night, so we had a little bit of a switcheroo. Our final count was:
(5) Buff Orpington
(5) Crested Polish - White Crested Black (you can see the black birds with the hysterical white pom pom on their heads)
(4) Rhode Island Red
(3) Ameracauna

Lisanne is taking 5 and I will have 12...

Lisanne transports the chicks from their box to the brooder, and shows Izzie and August how to care for them gently.

This is a terrible photo, but here are the chicks in their new home! You can see the Crested Polish in the middle - ridiculously cute.

Lisanne's Coop Arrives

2009-04-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

No, it wasn't an April Fool's joke. Lisanne's coop from Horizon Structures arrived early, along with 2 other coops headed to other Massachusetts chicken aficionados.

The coop weighs 700 POUNDS. That's a serious coop. You can see it just clearing the septic caps. The maneuverability of the flatbed was remarkable.

It's new home - doesn't Lisanne look excited?

Picking up the Chicks - Or not...

2009-04-01T13:42:00.008-04:00

Today Lisanne, Izzie, August and I headed up to Dodge Grain in New Hampshire. We were so excited to see the chicks in their brooders and relieved that the chicks we had reserved - Ameracauna, Crested Polish and Buff Orpingtons were together and separate with a big "SOLD" tag.

They also got a shipment of California White Leghorns, shown here pecking at their food.

The happy crew inspects our family's quarters - looks good!

The only problem is that the Rhode Island Red still haven't arrived. Jim was very accommodating and said that he would be willing to hold the other chicks until they showed up. In New Hampshire it is state law that you buy 12 chicks at one time. No paying for 15 and picking up 12 + 3. You have to buy 12 chicks and leave with 12 chicks every time. Arrggghhh.

We were relieved that he had taken such good care of our chicks, but definitely disappointed that we couldn't bring them home. Thursday or Friday...

The Chicken and the Egg

2009-04-01T07:41:00.007-04:00

Did everyone see this blurb in Boston Magazine? I like the idea that Chef Bond is supporting a Concord business, Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, but this is a little creepy. Read on for the text...

Mmmmmm...

Beak-to-Tail Dining by J. Kenji Alt

Beacon Hill Bistro 's self-styled farmboy turned chef, Jason Bond, is cooking up a curious take on classic chicken and noodles. It starts with a monthly trip to Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, a small meat and poultry operation in Concord, where he helps slaughter pasture-raised heirloom egg hens. He then braises these lean but flavorful birds overnight in a rich broth made from the wings, feet, and bones, resulting in meat as tender as that of a pampered young chicken and with the flavor that only three years of a happy-go-clucky outdoor life can lend. Bond serves the meat atop hand-rolled pasta and garnishes it with the hen's unlaid eggs, gently poached. These diminutive Day-Glo-orange orbs—enriched by the bird's free-range diet—remind us of the way eggs should taste, and also answer the proverbial question: They come to your table at exactly the same time.

Beacon Hill Hotel, 25 Charles St., Boston, 617-723-7575, beaconhillhotel.com.

Work Continues

2009-03-31T20:52:00.005-04:00

For the past two weekends Tim and Fred have been furiously working on rebuilding the existing shed that will soon be transformed into coop. They've dug out the shed -it has been sitting directly on the ground for decades, removed the rotten wood, jacked up the shed, replaced all of the studs and built a new floor. Not bad for two Saturdays.

Prepped for Jacking Up

Reviewing the Progress (and checking in with the wife)

All in a Days Work (or two)

All this effort for a few eggs. . ?

The Monument Street Coop Project Grows

2009-03-31T20:34:00.006-04:00

Before we've even picked up our chicks (only hours away now), we've decided to add another coop to the co-op. I've been so inspired by the project that instead of a single coop at Isabella and Tim's the Weaver's have decided to join the ranks of backyard flockers everywhere and put up a coop in our own backyard. Monument Street Coop II is due to arrive from Horizon Structures tomorrow afternoon and I couldn't be more excited.

Monument Street Coop II

With only five to six weeks before our chicks will move into their new homes we can't get all of the work done soon enough. We have The Original Monument Street Coop to finish --work is well underway and now Coop II has been added to the to do list. What is life without a project or two to keep you motivated?

White House chickens?

2009-03-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

My blog friend Sara sent me this great blurb from The Atlantic, How About a White House Chicken Flock?

After seeing Alice Waters on 60 Minutes urging the Obamas to plant a vegetable garden, and then seeing Michelle Obama on the cover of the NY Times hoeing away in city-chic black, chickens COULD be a possibility chez White House. What do you think?

Coop Envy

2009-03-22T22:53:00.003-04:00

I have been looking at this photo longingly the past couple of days. Maybe it's because my yard is dirt, dotted with piles of unsightly brush. Maybe it's just the touch of sparkle in the chandelier.

All I know is that I have serious coop envy. A few boxwood, a chandelier... a girl can dream.

Building The Brooder

2009-03-14T12:39:00.022-04:00

We set out last weekend to build the chick house or the Chick Inn as my husband likes to refer to it. The humble abode that our babies will call home for the first five weeks of their lives.

We contemplated buying a traditional wire cage brooder (see photo). But opted instead to construct our own. Infinitely more fun and customizable. Plus we already had the lumber necessary on hand left over from a prior "build our own office desks" project.

Traditional Wire Cage Brooder

The Team Departs

Our first stop was the local lumber yard --Concord Lumber, where we searched for fine gauge wire for the top and bottom of the brooder. Something large enough to allow all of the chicken droppings (apparently abundant) to fall through, but small enough that their little feet will not get stuck.

To Home Depot - for a piece of plexiglass for the front.

While Fred started in on the construction, Isabelle and I headed indoors to test out Terry Golson's Challah recipe from her publication The Farmstead Egg Cookbook.

Fred Hard at Work

Isabelle Hard at Work

SUCCESS

The bread was AMAZING and the brooder looks great. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our chicks and ultimately our very own eggs so we can try out the Challah bread recipe with fresh Monument Street Coop eggs.

We are expecting . . . chicks

2009-03-04T17:40:00.010-05:00

After much discussion and deliberation we've finally identified the different breeds that will soon make The Monument Street Coop their home. The chick order has been placed and the cluck is ticking --40 days and counting. Come mid April we'll be the proud "parents" of ten newly hatched chicks (assuming of course that they all survive shipping).

Of all of the things we considered in our selection process. . . : How rugged are the breeds; will our chickens weather winter well? How many eggs will they produce? The cuteness factor -which birds are better looking? Are they family friendly? Will they get along with one another (we're risking it with one breed that while pretty is known to be a little on the wimpy side)? The question of whether to purchase vaccinated or unvaccinated chicks was the big one. It seems that a lot of backyard flocks are unvaccinated --there are definitely pros and cons to both. We finally settled on vaccinated figuring we'd stave off as many potential risk factors as possible at the get go.

The Monument Street Flock in no particular order. . .

(2) Rhode Island Reds

(2) Ameracaunas

(2) Buff Orpingtons

(2) Polish Crested (one silver, one black with white crest)

(2) Speckled Sussex

Here is a little look at what we'll be expecting to receive in our shipment and hopefully what they'll grow into as hens. HOW CUTE!!!

Rhode Island Reds

Ameraucana

Buff Orpington

Silver Crested Polish

White Crested Black Polish

Speckled Sussex

More Snow

2009-03-02T14:17:00.000-05:00

It's hard to think about chicks and spring when it snows. Sigh.

But it sure is pretty.

Framing and Building

2009-03-01T16:08:00.001-05:00

Thank goodness for my dad. He can BUILD things. And he has more energy than Lance Armstrong, so he's a good person for projects. Anyway, we hashed out how we were going to build this coop, then headed to Home Depot with Tim and Augu to buy the materials.

Here is a diagram of the floor, which is now 78" x 96" (the finished interior will be 6' wide). Stay tuned for more gripping renderings (to scale no less... that's what you get with a graphic designer):

Here is Tim cutting the studs down. Go Tim! This was his first adventure with power tools since middle school. He is very handy.

Here are Tim and my dad surveying the floor studs.

By the end of the day, we had cut most of the wood for the frame. We had removed all the felt weatherstrips from the windows and sanded them down. Tim and my Dad built the frames for the windows as you can see below.

We are going to have to transport it up to Concord and build it here since we wouldn't be able to get it out through my Dad's bulkhead. It's just too big. Here you can see all the wood packed up and labeled for its trip north.

Don't miss the chicken ramp... Tim built it himself! Bock bock...

A Trip to the Salvage Yard

2009-02-28T21:02:00.007-05:00

We went down to Rhode Island this weekend to pow-wow with my dad and make some serious coop headway. After reviewing all the emails that I had received regarding coop construction, and visiting Terry Golson's coop, we revised our design.

One consistent piece of advice (courtesy of the Carlisle Chicken Group, Carlisle being the next town over) was to make the coop bigger than we thought we needed. This was recommended a) because we would soon become obsessed with chickens and want more than 10 and b) because of the hard winter here, it's nice to give them a little extra indoor space.

So we revised the design. Instead of 6'x4', it will now be 6'x8', with two basement windows to give it some light.

And based on the very important knowledge gleaned from my visit to Terry's, we're going to cut through the existing shed's window and replace it with a screen door. That way we can store all the chicken paraphernalia in the shed. This also eliminates the need for a door on the outside of the new structure, which I like.

Tim and I headed to New England Demolition and Salvage in New Bedford, MA on Saturday to try and find some attractive salvage windows for the coop (sorry Terry, you had so many good ideas). This place can be cool, and it can be a nightmare. The people working there are decidedly unhelpful and it doesn't really seem like they want to sell anything (although I find this typical of many antique dealers). However, if you find good stuff, it's worth it.

Here Tim shows off our narrowed-down selection of screen doors.

Here he is with the door of choice ($35)... and the windows.

I originally picked some Victorian sidelights for the windows that were very sweet, but the gentleman wanted $100/each for them. My chickens are not going to be that snobby. I picked up these vintage storms for $20/each. They need a little love, but they're solid.

When you see a SEA of salvage house parts, it's a little depressing. All those homes... in pieces. It's a bit shocking that there are so many usable pieces for home building out there and yet we all go to Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. just because it's easier. Now granted, it IS easier. But I do love the hunt, AND we're recycling :)

A Visit with Terry Golson

2009-02-27T19:19:00.003-05:00

Today was an exciting day! Augu and I were invited to visit Terry Golson's home, to see her gorgeous coops and her chickens. Terry is the author of The Farmstead Egg Cookbook and Tillie Lays an Egg, a wonderful new children's book about a curious chicken at Little Pond Farm. She also mans the rocking "Hen Cam" which I link to on the sidebar.

Terry lives in the next town over from us and has a flock of hens on 3.5 acres. She has TWO coops (serious coop envy), one sweet shingled coop decorated with salvage windows that I fell in love with. The other is more like a small barn, pre-fab and FANCY from Country Carpenters, which she used to photograph Tillie Lays an Egg and also will soon house two goats.

Since we were getting ready to start planning our coop, I wanted to get some ideas from a chicken aficionado. Terry was most accommodating and had LOTS of great ideas, many of which we will incorporate.

Here is Terry's shingled coop. Love the purple barn door and the salvage windows. Augu tests the strength of the chicken's ramp.

A few of the hens puttering about. Candy, the lop-eared bunny, has a hutch inside the run. This bunny has to be the cutest thing I have ever seen. Augu was scared of her.

Terry has an 8'x16' structure for her coop. Half is devoted to storage for all things coop - galvanized barrels contain shavings, food, etc. A screen door divides the two spaces (the coop itself is 8'x8') and allows for ventilation.

Here you can see Terry's metal nesting boxes and her roost. Terry had an ingenious idea for the roost - it's on barn hinges so that you can lift it for easy clean-out.

Terry shows Augu her lovely speckled Sussex named Lulu... Thank you Terry!!!!!

Building the Coop

2009-02-23T16:03:00.010-05:00

Well envisioning it, rather. We are going to build the coop off an existing 1940s shed on our property. Yes, it's sinking into the earth but I have been reassured it can be jacked up and revitalized. It matches the house - yellow with dark green doors and trim.

Here are the dimensions for our coop builders...

Width:

Back of shed:

Window dimensions:

And here is the coop envisioned:

Oooh.... I am so excited.

Apparently we need about 2 sq feet INSIDE per bird. With 10 birds, we need at least 20 sq feet. For the outside, the gurus at Drumlin Farm recommend 8 sq feet per bird. Which makes for a rather long coop.

When do we start building?