feathers crossed...
Dan says if Harvey and I work VERY hard helping in the garden this summer we can get chickens in August. My current plan is to order 8-10 chicks with the hopes of successfully bringing 6 laying hens into adulthood (predators and illnesses being what they are). Of course, we'll make sure we have room for all 8 or 10 in case I'm very successful.
My going favorite is the Plymouth Rock variety, since they take cold winters well, lay a lot of big eggs, and are so very very pretty in black and white.
Then there's the coop. I'm usually anti-plastic in all things, but I'm starting to sell myself on the idea of a plastic coop, because it's so easily insulated and predator safe.
Also, how cute is that? It comes in orange!
Okay, so nothing left to do now but self install seventy bazillion yards of fencing, pop out a newborn, and get life back together soon enough to be turning out eggs for fall. We can do it, right?
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Yay! Congratulations! Maybe we can make the fencing a communal project? Does this coop have a floor- what are the pros of a floor (as someone who dreams of one day having chickens)?
OH MY GOSH! We want to help! let us help. and not jsut cause we want eggs :) but a little cause we do! can we be on a subscription for egg buying :)
I am with Jo communal fence putting up and of course especially if this requires grilling to be done and lots of mint iced tea to be drunk. yippeeee chickens and eggs and stuff!
To answer your question Jo, the coop has a removable floor, or in the words of the promotional copy: "The Eglu Cube has a large roosting area with a slatted floor, so droppings fall through the slats onto the easy-to-remove plastic trays." That's kind of the part that sold me on it, actually.
And yes, I'd be overjoyed to throw a fence-raising party. Sometime in April, once I figure out how to get all the pieces delivered. My 30th birthday is the weekend after Easter, so we could through a work/play shindig with beer and chocolate and no worries about Lenten obligations.