Well, not exactly.
Two things we wanted to accomplish early were starting our first flock of chickens and getting a metal roof on our house. For the roof, we chose metal in order to harvest rainwater and we chose white for maximum reflection. We will have a large (2500 gal.) cistern installed by the house.
We ordered our chicks from a farm supply store in Gig Harbor and went to pick them up the day they arrived at the store. I chose a variety of breeds for different colors of eggs and strong foraging reputation. These birds will lay eggs and work the soil for us in chicken tractors. They will be treated as valued working partners and will not be slaughtered for meat. We are feeding them a splendidly varied diet which will result in delicious, orange-yolked eggs that are higher in nutrition.
We have repurposed our original dogmobile as a chick brooder.
Very beautiful photos Anthony, Jackie! I had some chickens for a few years, turns out you need a bunch of land to do that, not just a small city plot, and you sure have it. Just remember that the critters will devote hours each night trying to get into or under your chicken 'tractor'......I lost 2 of mine to raccoons even here in the city. The coop was solid and had fencing buried 18 inches... but I accidentally left the egg gathering door unlocked. And they were there both times, which means they were checking most every night I guess. Be careful!
ReplyDeleteYour property is gorgeous, and your plans sound ingenious. Very lucky that you have a high water table and can make ponds.
Thanks Julia! I've got a trick up my sleeve regarding chicken predators--electric net fencing. They are in a very secure hen-house overnight and will only be in the tractor during daylight. I'll surround the tractor with the mobile fencing and we'll keep the gals safe. Also, we'll use bentonite clay to seal the pond because there's no clay to speak of in our soil. We'll fill the pond with rainwater. :-) Anthony
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