The Chicken "Coupe"

08/07/2024

08/07/2024

How do the bunnies and chickens survive 100 degree heat? Just fine! I lost my favorite chicken (Ramona) to the heat last year after she got locked out of the area where the water was under the old coop we used to have. This summer I’m determined not to lose another animal, so got a new coop, installed a misting system, set up multiple sources of shade, and have three high speed fans going, and put in a temperature gage which alerts me when the surface air in the runs go up over 90 degrees . The misting system goes on for about ten minutes every hour and amazingly brings the surface air level down to about 70 degrees (even during the hottest part of the day). My water bill is going to suck, but it’s worth it keeping our babies happy and safe.

03/04/2024

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated this page. A lot has changed since my last post. We lost some of our favorite chooks, gained some new ones, and made significant improvements to the “Chicken Coupe”. My beloved Thelma passed away awhile ago, as did her partner Louise. We raised a few chicks, Ramona and Beezus, but lost Ramona during a heat waive last summer. I was devastated by her loss when she accidentally got locked out of the area where her waterer was. She was a spicy little chicken nugget but loving at the same time. We learned a lot from that experience and made improvements to the chicken run to better protect the clucks from the heat, adding a bigger waterer in more easily accessible part of the run, and we added a misting system for those especially hot days. Recently (as of this week) we upgraded the actual coop by adding the Medium sized OverEZ chicken “mansion” (as I call it). So far the ladies (Mazzie and Beezus) have taken a liking to it. Mazzie was added to the flock shortly after Ramona’s death to keep Beezus company. The two have become best of friends since. That’s the latest for now, but I’ll try and be better about keeping everyone up to date on what’s going on in the “Chicken Coupe”.

30/03/2021

Thelma sunbathing on her side this afternoon.

10/02/2021

Got Thelma and Louise a big screen TV for the coop so they can watch “chick flicks” (that’s a Haley joke). No...even better...it’s a cozy coop safety heater so they can stay warm while they perch.

31/01/2021

Dug in and snuggling on a rainy January day.

31/01/2021

They also got some fresh vegetables, because they’re spoiled.

31/01/2021

The ladies got a treat bar with sunflower seeds and dried worms.

30/01/2021

28/01/2021

A new sign for the Chicken “Coupe”!

14/01/2021

Thelma, after laying an egg today. She started screaming in the middle of one of my work meetings and wouldn’t shut up until I ran out there to collect it. She’s going to drive the neighbors nuts once I’m back in the building and no one is home to collect her eggs.

13/01/2021

This is Louise. We're not sure what breed of chicken she is, but my best guess is a Wyandotte. Louise is much more cautious than Thelma. She's friendly, but guarded. She doesn't like much human interaction. When we open the chicken run, she hides in the corner under the coop. She'd rather stay within the confines of the coop than wander around the backyard. She runs away from us when free to roam, so we limit her time out of the run. She prefers it that way, anyway. Louise is a BIG TIME egg layer. Lately, she's been laying about an egg a day. Her eggs are small and light brown. We have to check the coop constantly, because she doesn't alert us like Thelma does. Louise is a sweetie, but prefers to hang alone.

13/01/2021

This is Thelma. She's a Rhode Island Red chicken. Thelma is a large hen with an even LARGER personality. Thelma loves wandering around the backyard, digging for worms, and tormenting our Pit Bull, Ruby. She has no fear. Every time I open the door to the chicken run, Thelma tries to bull her way out headbutting me if I'm in her way. She's friendly, but she's definitely an independent thinker. Her eggs are big and dark brown. When Thelma lays an egg, she proudly yells at us at the top of her lungs until one of us go collect the egg and show her that we've retrieved it. I can't help but love her and her infectious charisma!