Monday, June 27, 2016

Storage

With a puppy you seem to collect a lot of puppy stuff.  The pile of treats, leashes, and baggies on our little dresser quickly became accessible to Honker because he's grown so fast.  We needed a new plan.  After a trip to a local vintage sale and Papa Hen's handiness, we got ourselves a new storage system.

We are still looking for the perfect magnets and some hooks to go beside the nesting box shelves, but otherwise it's perfect.  Honker can't reach into it and we can.  Phew!

You might notice something above the nesting box shelves, an adornment.  It was stitched by Mama Hen's Mama and it's a beauty.  Mama Hen's Mama is pretty handy herself!
Do you recognize our chickens in the picture?

Upgrade

The chickens needed a little upgrade to the floor of Red Door Coop.  Literally, the floor needed to go up!  Over the past three years, the gravel had become packed down and scooped out in our daily cleanings.  Papa and Mama Hen kicked out the girls yesterday and let them play in the chicken yard and pen.  While the chickens played we opened 20 bags of gravel and spread them in the coop.  We also cleaned out under the roost and nesting boxes and replaced all the pine shavings with a sprinkling of one of our new favorite chicken products, Nesting Box Blend herbs for chickens.
The chickens didn't seem too impressed with anything except the new dirt in the chicken bath.


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Puppy Treasure Hunt

Mama Hen hid tiny treats all over the lawn chair.  It took Honker a few minutes to understand that he needed to 'find' the treats, but he caught on.











Later in the evening he hid under the lawn chair fort sniffing vigorously for other treats.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

This Is What Chicken Business Looks Like

Chicken Business is serious business.  This is what it looks like when the temperature is 100 degrees and the chickens need a break from Red Door Coop.  They head into Red Door Pen for shade and continue their chicken business.  They are adaptable and take their work with them wherever they go.


This is what it looks like when the humans take care of planting a garden, finally.

This is what it looks like when a puppy plays outside of the chicken yard.  Can you see him?

This is what it looks like when the puppy watches the action in the chicken yard.


Sunday, June 12, 2016

We're Back...

Mama Hen was traveling, Papa Hen was taking care of all the animals, and the blog was resting.  Things are back to normal now.  After a weekend dedicated to the yard, the gardens, the doggie and the chickens, (and turning on the swamp cooler!) we are feeling a bit accomplished.

Curious about the chickens?  BB, Bill, Jim, and Weezy are doing really well.  Murphy's been a little bit under the weather so we are feeding her more protein.  Since then, she seems to have a little more energy and her feathers look better.
Curious about the puppy, Honker?  Well, this puppy doubled in size while Mama Hen was traveling.  He's been to two Puppy Kindergarten classes and is starting to learn the basic commands.  We are too!  He can sit and settle and look and spin.  Honker is doing very well with house training; just a few mistakes a week now.  He is still very skilled at eating mulch, dirt and grass.  He loves our broom.  He likes to lounge under our bed.  Honker stares at the chickens and they stare back.