The Chickens Are in Da House!

No, the chicken coop isn't entirely finished, but it and the attached run are done enough that the chickens are finally living in it! Romie has been working a four-day work week ever since the earthquake in Japan, due to his business being affected by the damage to some automotive supply companies in that part of the country. So he was home all day yesterday and so was I.

The day was spent working like crazy to get the chicken coop done enough that the chicks (which really aren't "chicks" anymore) could start staying in it. I had started painting the inside last Sunday and I finished that, while helping him with the run when he needed it. Around 5:30 p.m., I got down on my hands and knees in the conservatory and grabbed eight squawking chickens who were huddling in a corner under the benches, and handed them to Romie, to put in the run.

They loved it. They immediately began pecking and scratching and exploring every corner of it.

All of the commotion got the attention of the cats and they positioned themselves at various spots around the run to watch the big birds. I have no doubt that a couple of them would have tried out their hunting skills on them if they could have gotten to them, but they had to be content to just watch.

There is much to be done to the coop yet. The top cover of the run has to be constructed and added, to keep predators out. Trim has to be put on the outside in places and of course, more painting. The conservatory has to be painted yet, too, so we'll do them at the same time. And there's the matter of a walkway and some landscaping around the coop to do.

Speaking of the conservatory, you can imagine what a mess the chickens had made of the inside of that. We have a stone paver floor, and it was covered in doo-doo, but the entire room was also covered in chicken dust. The plants that were in there looked like they'd been in Miss Havisham's house.

We spent the rest of the evening cleaning out the conservatory and though I was tired before we began, I'll admit I'm glad we went ahead and did it last night. This morning, the chicks are back outside in their run and back to their pecking and scratching. They have such a rough life.