Weekend: De-Coopage, Desert
Sep. 19th, 2011 02:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterChecking things off of the moving checklist has been a long process. One of the items that had been of great concern was the chickens. Keeping them would depend on whether or not I found a place in Texas that would allow me to keep them. Plus, my old roommate was not interested in continuing to feed them if they were just going to be sold to someone on Craigslist. Given how much of struggle it has been to find housing there, I finally decided that it would make the most sense to find a new home for the girls. But I wanted to make sure it was the right kind of home, with someone who was enthusiastic about the idea of keeping chickens. As I was trying to think over the options, a friend got in touch with me on Facebook; her mother was down to a single chicken and wasn't sure about what to do with this last one. Would I like it? So I turned the question around: would her mother be interested in my chickens? As it turned out, her boyfriend (also my friend) was very interested and excited about the idea. And these chickens are really great starter chickens; although they are getting older (they've just turned two!), they are sturdy birds and provide all of the standard entertainment and benefits that come along with chicken ownership.
The first step was going over to check out B and Z's yard to see if it would be practical to keep them there. The answer was, yes. They have a small backyard that is quiet and well fenced-in, with some good shady patches where the birds can hang out during hotter weather.
The next step was to bring over the birds. On Friday night, the three of us went back to the Farmer house after the sun went down. I brought a couple of big plastic bins, and I was amazed by how easy it was to pick up the chickens and put them in the boxes. As long as it's dark, they are most interested in hunkering down and not doing much, so the whole process of moving the chickens was a cinch.
The next morning, I came back over for some delicious breakfast and to make plans for a new chicken roost. The girls' previous chicken house was built by the Scrabble Society out of reclaimed wood that was given to me by a friend. It has been an awesome chicken house, but it's too heavy and large to move, so it will stay at the Farmer House. We did take out the nesting box, which the chickens will continue to use.
After breakfast, B and I spent a couple of hours sketching out plans, practicing our trigonometric skills (an angled roof makes for some fun with geometry), and thinking about roost dimensions. Eventually, we came to agreement about the new roost, and headed over to the hardware store to pick up supplies. We then spent the rest of the afternoon measuring and sawing boards and then pounding in nails. Altogether, their new roost is much more snug and cozy than their old roost. I was very pleased that we managed to build it out of two sheets of plywood and five 2x4's, with only 16 inches of scrap wood left over.
So that was Saturday during the day. We had to wrap up fairly quickly, because next on the agenda was a bike ride out to Lost Dutchman State Park. Nothing like spending a whole sweaty day outside and then going camping, right? Fortunately, the campground has (free!) showers, so I was able to at least rinse off once we arrived. I tried to fall asleep early, but wound up lying on the ground listening to my friends tell stories that I have heard too many times and that I don't want to hear again because I remember things differently.
So eventually I got up and walked off to a quiet place by myself where I could enjoy the night sounds, the giant moon, and the cool air. It was 3:30 am before everyone finally quieted down, and then others started to get up at 5:30 am. Not much sleep. The morning, however, was also gloriously beautiful, and there's a part of me that was very grateful for the other morning people who weren't shy about their morning-ness. Also, coffee always tastes better when it's enjoyed out in fresh air. I'm grateful to my friends for organizing another great biking expedition and only wish I'd been better-rested so I could express more of my appreciation.
The first step was going over to check out B and Z's yard to see if it would be practical to keep them there. The answer was, yes. They have a small backyard that is quiet and well fenced-in, with some good shady patches where the birds can hang out during hotter weather.
The next step was to bring over the birds. On Friday night, the three of us went back to the Farmer house after the sun went down. I brought a couple of big plastic bins, and I was amazed by how easy it was to pick up the chickens and put them in the boxes. As long as it's dark, they are most interested in hunkering down and not doing much, so the whole process of moving the chickens was a cinch.
The next morning, I came back over for some delicious breakfast and to make plans for a new chicken roost. The girls' previous chicken house was built by the Scrabble Society out of reclaimed wood that was given to me by a friend. It has been an awesome chicken house, but it's too heavy and large to move, so it will stay at the Farmer House. We did take out the nesting box, which the chickens will continue to use.
After breakfast, B and I spent a couple of hours sketching out plans, practicing our trigonometric skills (an angled roof makes for some fun with geometry), and thinking about roost dimensions. Eventually, we came to agreement about the new roost, and headed over to the hardware store to pick up supplies. We then spent the rest of the afternoon measuring and sawing boards and then pounding in nails. Altogether, their new roost is much more snug and cozy than their old roost. I was very pleased that we managed to build it out of two sheets of plywood and five 2x4's, with only 16 inches of scrap wood left over.
So that was Saturday during the day. We had to wrap up fairly quickly, because next on the agenda was a bike ride out to Lost Dutchman State Park. Nothing like spending a whole sweaty day outside and then going camping, right? Fortunately, the campground has (free!) showers, so I was able to at least rinse off once we arrived. I tried to fall asleep early, but wound up lying on the ground listening to my friends tell stories that I have heard too many times and that I don't want to hear again because I remember things differently.
So eventually I got up and walked off to a quiet place by myself where I could enjoy the night sounds, the giant moon, and the cool air. It was 3:30 am before everyone finally quieted down, and then others started to get up at 5:30 am. Not much sleep. The morning, however, was also gloriously beautiful, and there's a part of me that was very grateful for the other morning people who weren't shy about their morning-ness. Also, coffee always tastes better when it's enjoyed out in fresh air. I'm grateful to my friends for organizing another great biking expedition and only wish I'd been better-rested so I could express more of my appreciation.
