page of sketches

update on chicks

I finished priming the chicken coop Sunday, so we moved all the chicks to a plastic kids pool...they have a lot more room now. One of the cornish hens died yesterday...it was so sad. I'll be sooo glad when they don't need heat...last night, I went out to check on them 4 times to make sure they were not cold. It was a little errie at 1:30am and all I could hear was those blasted coyotes. I kept wondering if one was going to greet me at the door when I walked out of the coop!


If I don't find time to post again before Thanksgiving, I hope everyone has a great turkey day!

they're here!!

These are the rhode island reds...I can already pick out 2 that will have names! DH isn't going to like that...I'm not suppose to name any of them!

And these are the cornish rock pullets...in other words "meat birds". They are all soooo cute!

ready and waiting...

The chicks are being shipped today...I'm just waiting for a phone call from the post office. We made 2 brooder boxes out of plastic storage boxes that I bought at Wal-Mart. They are nice and warm with food and water just waiting for the chicks. I put down a layer of wood shaving and then paper towel...the hatchery recommends paper towel or cheese cloth for the first 3 days to help keep the chicks from eating too much wood shavings.

Last night DH put together this electrical box that has a dimmer so I can control the heat in both boxes.

DH cut a hole out of the lid of the box and built a frame from scrap wood and added wire to the top.

last weeks sketches

Last week I bought a larger sketchbook at Texas Art Supply...I'm trying to sketch everyday, but that doesn't seem to be happening. These 2 pages measure 14 inches across...I realized this morning that the 2 pages are bigger than my scanning surface, so I'm going to need to stay away from the outside edges.

coop update

We installed the window Thursday afternoon and the door Friday. B&K came home Friday...B had fun playing with the nail gun and drill. DH shingled the roof yesterday.

The window will be wire...the door on the bottom left is so the chickens can walk down the ramp into their yard area during the day.

Nesting boxes completed except for some hardware and primer.

ramp/door open.

The nesting box doors open down.

I've been priming off and on for the past 2 weekends...DH hates to paint. Britt helped me with a little priming yesterday while DH was on the roof with the shingles and if your wondering what K did all weekend...she thought she needed to sit with the dogs.

on my needles...

I finished the first fingerless mitten last night and started on the second...these are easy!
pattern: Those Mittens
yarn: Lorna's Lace Shepperd worsted
color: aqua
needles: 2 size 6 circular

I finished this sock Monday night and started the toe last night for it's mate.
pattern name: Halcydon Socks
yarn: Paca-Peds
color: Harvest
needles: 2 size 1 (2.25mm) circular

saturday's progress

This is the front...there will be a regular window with glass.

This side will have a window with wire...a door that raises with a ramp, so the chickens can go into their fenced in yard area.

North side.

Back side with wire window and nesting boxes.

lunchtime

While Francine was being detailed, I walked to Burger Tex ate lunch and doodled.

I started this fingerless mitten last night while watching the election results and added a few more rows while I waited for Francine to be finished. For those of you who don't know me...Francine is my F-J Cruiser...this is the first time I have named one of our vehicles. DH and I were thinking of names that F-J could stand for one night (2 years ago when we bought her), so I decided to go ahead and give her a name.

5:55 am...across the street

I sketched this from memory yesterday morning...I knew I had a busy day ahead of me, so I decided to sketch first thing.

another update

What are they doing?!

Finished the framing of the soffit/eaves.

Added the vertical 2x4's up top.

DH building the frame for the nesting boxes that will hang from the outside of the coop, so the chickens have more room inside.

The frame for the nesting boxes finished and attached to the outside of the coop...there will be doors that open from the outside, so that you don't have to go inside to gather the eggs.

These chickens will provide 3 purposes...1)meat, 2)eggs and 3)fertilizer. I have to remind myself that they are not pets and I have decided that I need to give them all the same name. Another blogger names all her chickens Fred!

coop roof

DH in his overalls.

coop update

We built the 4 walls yesterday and hope to have a roof by the end of today...DH is out there cutting 2x4's as I update this...I better get out there and help.

One of our little helpers!