Chicken Coop

When I picture rural living there are a few images that automatically come to mind.  Lush gardens filled with seasonal vegetables, a large stack of split wood next to a cast iron woodstove, and of course, chickens scratching at the raw land.   When we moved out to out little neighbourhood I knew immediately that I wanted hens.  Farm fresh eggs are a luxury that can cost you an arm and a leg in in the city.  Although there are many people around the neighbourhood that sell their extra eggs, I wanted to know that I am consuming a product that came from a well cared for bird.  Of course, there is also the amusement of keeping chickens that serves as a big draw.
Not being the types to throw something together, A and I have meticulously researched the style of coop we want.   I wanted to be certain that I would have a properly built home for my ladies.  I want them to be safe and warm, and I didn't want to be cursing myself while collecting eggs in the dark in the middle of winter.   It might seem silly to commit such effort and money towards a building to house chickens but we wanted to make sure that we were building something that would last.   We didn't want to be adding an eyesore to our home.
It has been a long process and it seems like it might never come to a finish but I figured I would share some of the progress we have made.

We decided on a Wichita style coop which has a raised hen house connected to a fully enclosed run.  The run will have a full height door which I will be able to gain access though.  The coop will have a pop style chicken door, larger entry door and overhanging nesting boxes which I will be able to access without going into the coop.   The rear of the coop will be closed off for storage of litter and food.   The extreme weather here has forced us to ensure the coop will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.   As it is a fair ways away from the house, and I will be no doubt tending to birds in the dark, we have decided to hard wire it in so that I can have a light to see by also the option to add a heat lamp or heated water dish.  The coop will be finished with the same siding and trim as our own home and it has a matching tin roof has already been installed.

Here we you see the small chicken entry door and a smaller vent near the roof.   The coop will have 2 small vents that can be removed in the summertime and a larger opening window above the nesting boxes.  A is also installing a small window in the main door so that I may be able to peek in on the ladies without disturbing them.   Its not uncommon to get temperatures near 40 in the summer and minus 25 in the winter so we have taken care to fully insulate the house itself.

Looks like someone is slacking on the job....

The back of the coop with extended nesting boxes.  I will be able to collect eggs by lifting the lid to the nest.  When I want to clean the coop the entire side of the nesting boxes can be dropped down so that I can easily scoop old littler out. 

The rear of the coop was made into a fairly large storage area.   Here I will have ample space for extra litter and food.   As a last minute thought A installed an electrical outlet just inside the door in case I ever want to hang a light.

Back of the coop with the sliding window installed.

Inside the coop we put down lino flooring to make clean up an easy job.   You can see my 3 nesting boxes on the floor and a full length roost.  The shelf under the roost is called a droppings board and will be filled with a layer of sand.  The idea is that the majority of chicken poop happens at night when the hens are roosting.  The close proximity between the roost and the shelf ensures the poop has lesser chance of hitting the walls.   This way you can easily scoop the poop out of the sand and the shavings on the floor stays cleaner, thus needing a full cleaning less often. 

I painted the interior of the coop with a latex paint so that it would be easier to clean.  I also thought it might help brighten the area with our limited winter daylight hours.   Although I am opposed to artificial light throughout the winter, I do want to maximize what natural light we do get. 

A installed an exterior electrical box so that I can control an outside light.  There is also an electrical outlet and interior light switch just inside the door.

Roost, droppings shelf, vent, and pop door.   A line will be ran from the pop door to just outside the coop so that I can let the ladies in and out without actually entering the house itself.  I plan on hanging the ladies' water under the shelf during the winter months.   In the summer it will change locations to the underside of the cabin.   I'm leaning towards a tube style feeder to be attached to the inside of the coop.   This way the ladies can have a late night snack and it also helps deter catering to the local wildlife.

This is what happens when you tie a bun on the top of your head while painting the low ceiling of a hen house.   Fortunately I was able to scrub the majority of it out.  The rest of it I will have to learn to live with.

So close, we just need siding, trim and fencing.   Oh, and chickens. 

I haven't actually decided if I want to get chickens so late in the year.  It seems silly to feed and house them over the winter for little to no eggs.   I might just wait and purchase a few hens early next spring.  Until then, I will continue to update with our progress. 

Thrifting

I've talked about my love of thrift before and one of my favourite things to hunt for are vintage kitchen items.   Last week, after a hectic week of running the office solo, I stopped in at one of the larger thrift shops in town.   I was able to score a couple of Le Parfait canisters to add to my collection in the pantry and stoneware pottery container stamped from the mid 70s, which currently houses my dishwasher tabs besides the sink.  I love the earthy design on the lid, it reminds me of a full moon behind the hills.    My best find, of course, must be the old cast iron skillet I picked up for a song.   I've had my eye out for a good quality cast iron pan for quite a long time now.   I was hoping to snag an old griswold (still kicking myself for not buying a griswold cast iron muffin tin that was terribly over priced at Value Village) but my General Steel Wares is a decent make too.  GSW is a Canadian company based out of Ontario that stopped producing in the 1950s.    I gave my pan a one time wash with soap a recoated it with oil to maintain its seasoning.    The inside is silky smooth and amazingly non stick.   From breakfast to dinner, it seems like I've been using it non stop since I've bought it.

Assorted rice and sprouting seeds.  These canisters make it easy to spot my goods in the pantry. 

Blue and brown designs reminiscent of the moon. 

Skillet cornbread with dandelion jelly to top.

I can already tell this baby is going to be a major workhorse in my kitchen.

June Wrap Up

 

 

Did you know that I am in love with mixing bowls?   I'm sure I have at least 5 or 6 sets.  My favorites are these vintage Pyrex sets.  I thrifted the green cinderella set in New West a few years ago.  If I remember correctly, I paid a steep price for it.  It seems fair to me as the finish is in mint condition.   The yellow set I have put together from different locations.  I used my mixing bowls last week to whip up a birthday cake for A.   This was my first time making hummingbird cake and the results were delicious. 

 

Fruit and nut hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting.

 

Speaking of hummingbirds, I finally got my feeder up on the deck.   I bought the vintage cast iron owl hanger at community garage sale shortly after moving here.  Its located on the post above our bear beer bottle opener.  

I refuse to buy that red syrup marketed for hummingbird feeders.  Instead, I make my own simple syrup of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water - no red food dye added.  Make sure to allow your syrup to cool completely before filling.  The feeder has been seeing a lot of action and I am tempted to buy a second in a similar style.





 

 We received a few short showers over the week and this last one produced the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen.   Each separate colour was clearly visible and the end of the arc appeared to be so close that I was tempted to start looking for gold.

Double Rainbows

 

I made a point of collecting wild flowers from the property to place in vases.  These guys sit in one of the cobalt blue glass bottles A dug out of the ground a few months ago.  I love the way the bright orange paintbrush contrasts against the bottle.  Of course, the Montana cornflowers are the showstoppers.  Unfortunately, these only bloomed for a short while along the driveway.

 

Work has been continuing in the yard.  With the help of A's parents we cleared the hillside to the left of the house and seeded it with grass.  I topped the hill with a small patch of rhubarb and we are trying to decide on where to plant a couple of small apricot trees we acquired.

 

 

Although my garden is slow to come along I have subscribed to a weekly CSA box of produce.  Tonight's dinner will include local kale, carrots, and baby potatoes.  It`s the simple things that make me happy. 

 



Building a Balance

Views from the front deck.

Tomato and lemon balm so badly want to be planted.

The weather did not cooperate this weekend and I wasn't able to be as productive in the yard as I had intended.  Last week A completed a few of my raised garden beds.  My seedlings are in desperate need of transplanting and I've been forced to place veggies into pots here and there around the property.  On Saturday I was able to start screening out soil to put into my beds.  I plan on mixing this topsoil with other components from the nursery and compost from the city.  In the mean time I've been sifting away at the many piles of dirt scattered throughout our backyard. 
The yard is finally starting to take shape.  Some of my garden beds have been completed and areas for the out buildings have been levelled.  I knew it would be a big project but it seems to be taking much longer than anticipated.   With all the recent rain we have received the backyard has turned into a giant mucky mess and although its exciting to see all the progress, its a little overwhelming to have the entire back area looking so dishevelled.  Eventually we will lay the concrete pad for the woodshed and the chicken coop and run will be built.  Only then we will be able to think about laying down topsoil and seeding grass.  Until then, I suppose I will have to learn to live with the mess.

We built our garden beds in the back South corner of our property.  It is the largest area that gets the most daylight.   The garden has been benched with 3 raised beds on the lower tier and (for now) one on the higher tier.   A small fire ring sits between the garden and the hammock.  We would eventually like to add a picnic table to area.  The proposed area for my herb spiral lies directly under a massive pile of top soil.   The projects seem endless.

Mini projects - A modifies my birdhouse so that we may finally hang it.

The front yard has been left raw for now.  Arnica and dandelions are growing like crazy.   I poked around in the grass and located a good handful of wild raspberry bushes I plan to nurture.  In the fall the canes will be pruned and relocated into the back yard to be cultivated.  For now it seems easier to let mother nature do the work.
Yesterday there was a break in the weather and I managed to drag A and Little Dog out for a short walk.   The wild flowers are constantly changing and I was amazed to see the lady's slippers are almost finished.   Last year at this time we had just moved to the area.  Rent was extremely cheap and A encouraged me to take sometime away from working.   I was in the bush everyday, able to explore and marvel at beauty of nature.  This year I have had an amazing opportunity to work in a holistic healthcare office but my days are extremely long and I feel like the seasons are passing by without really getting a chance to enjoy them.  I leave for town first thing in the morning an I often don't get home until well after 7PM.  Its seems like all I do is work, make dinner, and go to bed.  I feel cheated when I work in town all week long and the weekend weather forces me to stay inside.  It's hard to find a balance between our personal lives and our work lives.  I with our yard was completed already so that I may reap the benefits of it. 

Wild roses are coming up everywhere.  The scent is intoxicating. 

Wild Orchards - Lady's Slippers line the trail.

Tiger Lily

Columbines.

This beauty was a new one for me: striped coral root.

Bear

Its warm out, we are working in the back garden, beers are being consumed.  The cast iron bottle opener Megan and Ryan bought for us has been getting a lot of use.

While screening soil today I came across bear tooth.  This is the second tooth we have found in the yard since moving here.  I suspect there are two more waiting to be discovered.

Waste Not - Want Not

For anyone that knows me well, it is no surprise to learn of my love for thrifting.   It's not so much a good deal that draws me in, rather its the lure of vintage items, made with a level of quality that can't be matched to today's products.  Its also a need for giving items a second life - society has become too disposable in the way that we view things.   I don't believe that because a pair of jeans or that set of porcelain mugs no longer serves you doesn't mean that it should be bound for the landfill.   Did you know that it takes almost 11,000 litres of water to produce one pair of jeans?   11,000 litres!?  It doesn't make sense to me to needlessly pollute our planet just for the want of a new article of clothing. 
My love of vintage goes back to when I was growing up.  I remember being a young teenager, scouting the local auxiliary store looking for vintage heels and picking through retro costume jewellery.  It was a way of developing my own sense of style.  That thrill of the hunt has stuck with me and I still find myself frequenting my local thrift stores.  With the purchase of our first home last summer, A and I have become avid garage sale shoppers, constantly searching for tools, garden supplies, and pieces of furniture to fill our house with.   Some of my favourite finds include vintage books, office supplies and clothing.  I also seem to have a soft spot for good quality pottery dishware - slowly swapping out our cheap and generic tableware for unique handcrafted pieces.

Thrifted wicker tray and lilac blossoms I stole from a neighbour's abandoned summer home. 

 

I tend to live my life through the saying waste not, want not.  Frequently purging out my possessions to donate to the local second hand stores helps me know that my discarded items will get a second chance too.  This past weekend, when A and I were cleaning out some old building supplies we posted a group of used windows for free on the local classifieds.  I'd rather they go to good use than to end up at the dump.   On the receiving end, I recently acquired a large amount of kale plants that someone had posted for free on Kijiji.  She had recently thinned out her raised beds so into my garden they went.  This way of life isn't just limited to my purchases,  this past weekend I managed to gather a few handful of dandelion blossoms to make into jelly.   This otherwise 'pesky' blossom is transformed into a beautiful jelly with a mild honey like flavour.  Foraging and wildcraft is another of my favourite resourceful pastimes. 

 Dandelion flowers in my thrifted herbcraft basket.

 

Beautuful dandelion jelly.

 

Take a minute to think about some ways in which you can prevent needless waste.   



 

Shaping Our Land

Foraged wild asparagus and Bramble Berry Sea Cider.  The essence of spring.

 

Blue Skies and the neighbour's cherry blossoms.  The recent warm weather has been reaching the 30s.



When I was 12 years old we moved into a vacation style home on waterfront.   The house was small and somewhat dated but it was situated a stone's throw from the sandy beach of a semi-private bay.  The front of the house showcased many large picture windows which allowed you to take in the full southern exposure.  The yard of the house featured a small patch of grass and couple of garden beds surrounded by cascades of blackberry brambles which grew the largest, juiciest berries I've ever had the pleasure of picking. 

Large Susan Magnolia (photo credit:http://www.monbureauderp.eu/)

What really stands out in my mind about that house were the two large magnolia trees that shaded the lawn from the hot summer sun.  These amazing trees with their twisting branches and pink and white flower as big as a saucer seemed out of place for such a cool climate.  The large flower buds are first to emerge, well before the greenery and they always served to be a sure sign of spring.   Ever since living in that wonderful beach house I have been enamoured with magnolia trees and their lovely flowers.
This weekend, while picking up some seedlings and soil at the local nursery I persuaded A to let me purchase a small magnolia tree.   The tiny tree, no higher than my knee is one of the hardier varieties of the magnolias and should be able to withstand the harsh winters we receive up in the hills.  We planted my small tree to the left of the back patio where she will receive almost full sunshine.  It is said that it can take up to two years after transplanting for a magnolia to blossom.  I suppose I will have to be patient if I want to see those pink flowers again. 





My new baby.

Yesterday, while working out in the back yard, an older gentleman on a large Harley motorcycle arrived at the top of our driveway.  He introduced himself as Rick, and asked us where we would like his machine to go.  

For months now I've listened to A promise me that he had lined up a good deal to rent a small excavator for the yard.

For months I've listened to A tell me about all the plans he has for using this machine on the property once we receive it.

For months I've patiently waited for such a machine to arrive. 

Yesterday morning, over breakfast, my patience wore out and we had a large argument about whether or not such a machine would ever appear.  I kindly asked A to stop day dreaming about a machine because we would never receive one and I strongly stressed how we have wasted another summer without a vegetable garden and chickens.  

Its funny the way the universe works. 

Not more than a few hours later, without any previous indication, there was the glorious excavator, parked at the top of our driveway, ready to be put to work. 

Although rather small in size, the excavator it has already made quick work of the back corner of our property.   Tree stumps have been removed and the land levelled and graded to make room for multiple raised beds.   It amazes me how much space we have back there. 
It will be a small investment to pay for the use of the machine but overall it will significantly improve the value of our home.  

It is now I who has been busy day dreaming about plans for the machine...