Silkie Manor & a new goose house!

The Silkies got a new house this summer. I think it suits them, what do you think? We call it Silkie Manor. It was a kids playhouse (originally sold at Sam's club) and we found it on Craigslist. A family was moving and didn't want to move the house with them, so we bought it and brought it home for the Silkies!

Choosing new coops

Hubby wanted it because it's washable. After power washing the wood in the big coop several times, we both were sick of that ordeal! lol So all 10 adults and 13 babies moved into the new house last month. They love it! They have bay windows with perches in front of them. There is a storage window seat for feed containers and such. 

We added in a 3 story ferret cage so the mama hens have a set of 'condos' to brood their babies in (lets just hope they don't all go broody at once, or we'll need more condos!) All we really had to do to convert it to a coop was build a platform for it and add some latches to the doors.

Since the Silkies were getting a brand new house, the Geese wanted one too! Hubby built them a sturdy weather-proof board and batten goose house, complete with tin roof to match the bog coop! It's not stained yet, but they love it just as well. Luckily a goose coop is pretty simple since they don't need much. 

Ivana loves it so much, after her first night in the coop...she started dancing! She's such a pretty little Sebbie!

So now the geese have a new house and pond, the Silkies have a new house....it's time for a new Guinea house. I can't wait to see what the Mr has in mind for this one!!!

Related reading: Funny Chicken Coop Names.

~Lisa

Want information on raising chickens sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published. You'll also get the free download 25 Ways to save money raising chickens.

We have ducklings!

I decided to hatch some ducklings to sell and it's actually going pretty well! I'm getting just enough orders that they're not hanging around too terribly long. Ducklings are so darn cute, but they're very messy! They get water everywhere! Which isn't so bad when they can be outside, or if mama duck broods them but me trying to keep them warm and dry has been so much fun (can you hear the sarcasm in that? lol)

I found that my best bet is to put them outside on warm days in a portable dog pen. They can be as messy as they want to be and I just put them in their nice dry bed/brooder for bedtime. They seem to think their water bowl is a mini swimming pool!





Unfortunately they are just small enough to slip through the holes! So I station a kid outside to watch them! lol I think they'll be too big to fit through in another day or so. They are so cute when they're this small though!

Are you thinking about getting some ducklings? Check out my post about Ducklings! Everything you need to start raising them.

~L

Why my 10 year old should not be allowed to name the chickens.

There is no easy way to say this so I'll just spit it out. I should never, ever ever EVER let my 10 year old son name the chickens.
There. I said it. Instead of boring you with words, I'm just going to show you the pictures of these adorable birds...and their wacky names.

Funny chicken names

First we'll start with Skittles. He said she was 'a rainbow of colors' as a chick. Mostly shades of brown of course!

This is a blue silkie pullet named Skids. It made more sense when her sisters Mud Flap and Wheelie were here still (think Transformers movie) unfortunately they were sold so Skids is flying solo now.

Next is Frankenstein. Named for her huge vaulted skull when she was hatched. Of course, we didn't know she was a she then and have been calling her Frank ever since.

When this adorable all white Guinea keet was hatched her promptly dubbed her "the abominable snow keet" She's no longer this small, but she's still pure snowy white.

Last but certainly not least, is Pooka the purple pancake. I have no words for that one......LOL

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of Fluffy Magee or The Imposter. As you can see, my son is king of the funny chicken names! lol

Update: It didn't stop here! check out a new post on more of the kids funny chickens names: He's at it again! Funny chicken names.

~L

Want information on raising chickens sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published. You'll also get the free download 25 Ways to save money raising chickens. 

Happy Easter!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

...from everyone here at the farm!

Often when I tell people about my chickens they make the comment "they must make a pretty egg basket". Well, yes...they do. Not really my motivation on this one though. Believe it or not, it happened accidentally!

Related reading: Chickens that lay white eggs.

Originally it started out with ordering French Black Copper Marans eggs. The seller sent me some light brown 'mystery' eggs. It turned out to be an Easter Egger who laid greenish colored eggs. I had to get her a friend, so I picked up an 'Aracuna' (EE) pullet from the feed store. She happens to lay blue eggs. 

Related reading: Chickens that lay blue eggs.

My blue and splash Marans lay lighter eggs then the FBCM. All the bantams lay little cream colored eggs. The duck lays a big white swirly looking egg. So, it just sorta happened that my egg basket looks like this:

A pretty egg basket

(no FBCM eggs in the basket this time...sorry!) Don't get me wrong...I love the pretty eggs! I just think that the hens are the best part of the whole thing! Their cute little faces, and funny personalities. They way they trip over each other, running when I call them. They are real sweethearts! 

Related reading: Chickens to raise for pretty colored eggs!

So while the eggs are pretty, they're more like a bonus gift from my spoiled little chooks!

~L

Update: I've been asked about my colored eggs so often that I wrote about all the different breeds you can raise for colored eggs: Chicken breeds to raise for pretty eggs. Check it out!