Birthday Bliss!

 

Sunday was my birthday, a milestone for sure.

This year, I bought myself a gift.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows I'm not into clothes or jewelry,

and I already own my dream car, Ginger.

So, what could I possibly wish for?

 

Why, an eglu cube chicken coop, of course!

 

It arrived just two days after I had ordered it,

which was perfect timing, as I had the weekend off to put it together.

 

It came in several boxes, 

and packed well without a lot of extraneous packing material.

I like that.

Look at these adorable egg crates that came with the order.

 

With Big K standing by, 

I decided I wanted to try to tackle the assembly by myself.

I, unlike most men, do read directions,

but I still needed a little bit of help from my super-duper handyman.

 

The metal frame allows the coop to sit up off the ground,

which not only gives the chooks a shady spot underneath,

but makes it easier to retrieve eggs and clean the coop.

 

This side of the coop has a door to the nesting boxes,

making egg retrieval easier.

There is even an interior door which can be closed at night,

so that the chooks don't sleep there.

This keeps the nesting boxes clean when the girls do their magic!

So far, so good!

 

The nesting box area is on the left while the right side

is designated for their evening roosting.

The green tray underneath the roosting area

slides out for easy emptying of the shavings and prized chicken poop.

I've started a separate compost pile for the shavings 

so that it can be added to the spring garden.

 

Thankfully, once assembled, it fit perfectly on our lawn trailer,

and we were able to transport it to its resting place.

 

The side yard is fairly sloped,

so I leveled it as best I could.

With the shavings in place for the girls,

it was ready to go.

 

The beauty of this coop is that it is mobile.  

I will most likely be getting the wheel attachments,

so that I can move it about on the property as often as I like.

Another fabulous feature is the ease with which it is maintained.

I'm not a fan of plastic, but this coop will actually keep the chooks healthier

because mites have no place to hide, unlike in wooden coops.

The only drawback that I've seen so far (aside from the price),

is the ladder.  They don't seem to know how to exit and enter easily.

I imagine they'll get the hang of it.

 

 

 I've ordered the run that attaches to the coop,

but for now I'm using some mobile netting to keep them in one spot.

It's been wonderful letting them free range during the day,

but I only feel comfortable doing this when I am out there working.

We have dogs who run loose and hawks overhead,

so I like to be able to keep an eye on them while they are grazing.

Going into my 60's as a chicken keeper is a good move.

The feeling of camaraderie with these creatures helps me feel

that I am continuing on my path.

We are both doing our part in this endeavor.

I feed them, they feed us.

It's a win-win,

and one of the best choices I've ever made.