Mama Hen

We used to have a small hobby farm with chickens, sheep and even the odd attempt at a cow in Wisconsin.  It's hard to believe that it's 17 years since we sold the farm and moved to a "neighborhood". ..and then another neighborhood, and now hopefully our last neighborhood.

A chicken rock for my Uncle in exchange for some birds?

The good news is that the folks here are just country enough to not care if we have a few chickens, as long as we keep it clean and quiet.  Sorry, roosters, no spot at the newly built chicken palace for you.

Wayne 's in the chicken house, not the dog house

The pandemic has provided the reason to keep Wayne home enough hours to finally get a home built for some chickens.  We could probably house up to a dozen layers if we needed to, but good grief, what would we do with all the eggs?!

I was pretty excited when it left the garage and made it's way outside, but then it had to be raised off the ground and fenced in as well.

 Spring is a bit slow to get really warm here with temps still just above freezing overnight.  But with the chicken house completed Wayne needed a new project so he built some raised beds for my vegetable and herb gardening.

And today the chickens came home!  My uncle loaned me Mama for a few weeks, but she can't get too comfortable Chez Leonard because it's back to her other fowl friends she must go.  Hopefully I can pick up another 2 or 3 ladies somewhere else, and most importantly I hope these are not roosters.

Best of all our next door neighbor does woodworking so I can have all the shavings I want for bedding in exchange for a few eggs.  Here's a little video of their first try at the ramp.  Happy Mother's Day, Everybody!