Ladies come home to roost

As they are laying hens (and thereby all girls), we will call them Ladies - seems fitting.

FYI, for anyone interested

The Chicken Coop, with new window. There are vents at the roof line and we'll be putting more in on the side roof line also.

The ladies are happy

It was also my birthday on Saturday, and I wanted Chinese food, so... a good gut bash was had!

We barely had the ladies home and it started snowing

A good sprinkling

The girls didn't know what to make of it

Robbie helping to herd them. Literally, 4 escaped through a week spot in the fence and Robbie rounded them up into a group behind the coop where Brad was able to put them back in the fence and we added logs around the edges.

Left: Blondie

All birds are Brown pullets... but Blondie must be the milkman's kid as she is much whiter than the rest.

Day 2: 5 eggs. Subsequently today, we got 6.

If you know me at all.... here is the camera in the coop.

We are able to monitor them coming in and out, using the roosts and making sure the lights and heater are working appropriately.... this will make me more comfortable that they have all they need, ie heat and light. (too hot still for the heater, but.... its there for when the temperatures drop)

Chickens need a minimum of 12 hours light per day in order to lay eggs. 14+ is better, so having a light in the coop to supplement their light is essential.

Chicken Coop is finished

After a hard days work Robbie relaxes in the couch

Chicken coop

Pizza from the local community. Really fabulous with lots of cheese. After so many years of thin stupid pizza this is a nice refresh.

Heated waterer (left) needed for Albertas frigid winters and nesting boxes (right) for our daily breakfast :D 

I made a feeder (waterer to follow in spring) for the chickens too. This will hold 25 lbs… should do them awhile, I hope.

Hen house door with ramp.

Having some serious computer issues currently. My iMac and my laptop won’t run chrome… No clue why yet and haven’t had time to sort it. Hope to soon though.

Update: iMac sorted.... next up - Laptop.

Rogue Acres Intro

Thank you to everyone who left condolences on the passing of my father. It's been a very difficult time the last few weeks. I appreciate your patience while I mourned the loss, not that I'm not still mourning but it is getting easier - though I still cry a bit each day.

We left the log house for our new acreage Sept. 27th. After a very long fist day of travel we got a room in Kelowna and finished the trip the following day.

Truck load of empty cardboard once everything was unpacked

When we arrived, Dad (or at least his ashes) had arrived ahead of us that day. That made for a nice welcoming, for sure.

Robbie waiting patiently while I unpack the kitchen

A brief sample of the gorgeous fall colours that surrounded us upon arrival. The majority of leaves have since fallen.

Back of house, Brad and Robbie playing their psycho game of tag.

Good size yard to run around in.

Yeah, so as you might imagine -- something always gets broken when you move. This time, it was the television. So we went out and replaced the 42" with a 50".  Actually has a really good picture (RCA).

I found a supplier for our laying hens, which arrive Oct 23rd (incidentally, my bday). I have ordered 15 brown laying hens, so we commenced preparing the coop. The coop was in quite a state, we had to clear it out, repair the leaking roof and sort out some roosts as there were none.

Laying hens coop - Before

Operational Supervisor in charge.

We went to a local farm supply and picked up a few chicken coop gadgets.

Brooder coop -- after

(for raising meat chickens)

Woodpecker just at the top right of the shadow across the tree. There was one on the left also, but I don't think I caught it in the pic.

Chicken coop roof  --before

Chicken coop roof -- after

Chicken coop - after

Roosts are in.

Squirrel in front of the pump house on upper right of tree.

Left: Dehydrated blueberries        Right: Freeze Dried Blueberries

In case you were confused :D

I've been looking everywhere, in person and online to find a decent display to put Dad's urn in and today we picked this curio cabinet up. Fits perfectly in that corner and has a light too. Still have to unpack some items for the lower shelves.

Very happy with this curio cabinet.

The statuette below was Dad's also. A reminder of his parents who bet on the races regularly.

We are also planning to raise rabbits but Brad has never tried rabbit before so I took to FaceBook and found a local supplier of a sample meal. I've had rabbit before many years ago and I recall that it tastes like chicken and that is what everyone is telling us also. 

I had planned for us to have it for supper tonight (Saturday) but time got away from us. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so it will be a few days before we get to sample the rabbit after all.