CheerioLounge - Desert Dreamin'
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CheerioLounge
Dessert Dreamer
He is working with a Marine wife right now on some 40's inspired dresses and aprons. One of the dresses is for her DH's homecoming from Afghanistan in April!pinkfox said:
We need to find some good fabric deals and put a few of his designs on Etsy.com. I just can't seem to get him motivated.
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- #103
CheerioLounge
Dessert Dreamer
Ain't been gettin' much done around here the last few days... no dinero and no materials. I'm afraid I may have to put off the trailer conversion until after we build the garage/studio. We have no other storage space. I'm kinda disappointed cuz I really want to get some more chickens. I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled for scrap lumber and maybe I can just enlarge the existing coop and run. I'm not going to give up too easily, cuz I've got to start a 2nd shift of layers!
BarredBuff
El Presidente de Pollo
How big is your coop? I'd just get em and see how they turn out because things often work out better than one would expect IMO
Marianne
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Holy mama! I just saw your pics of the dresses - wow! I wish I was still skinny and cute so I could wear one of them, ya know? 
Just a thought about your travel trailer conversion - just putting a roost in there somewhere would be enough to get started, wouldn't it? The hens sure won't complain. Then later as you scrounge for materials, you can add the things you want to it.
Just a thought about your travel trailer conversion - just putting a roost in there somewhere would be enough to get started, wouldn't it? The hens sure won't complain. Then later as you scrounge for materials, you can add the things you want to it.
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CheerioLounge
Dessert Dreamer
You are such an optimist! I love that about you! I really could learn a thing or two from you!
This is the chicken run. The coop for 4 of the girls is at the end there. The girls really only use it for laying. They roost out in the run every night. I tried shutting them in there every night for 10 days or so hoping they would use it, but they prefer roosting in the run. I do shut them in when I know there is a monsoon coming or a heavy rain (very rare for either to happen). They seem to be very happy and even with the cooler weather their egg production has not really dropped. The 5 girls still give me 3 or 4 eggs a day. The same goes for the smaller coop at the other end. I have one hen in there because she was getting picked on. She also perfers to roost in the run. I am going to rotate them one at a time into the smaller run so that the "feather picked" girls can fill back in.
This is the chicken run. The coop for 4 of the girls is at the end there. The girls really only use it for laying. They roost out in the run every night. I tried shutting them in there every night for 10 days or so hoping they would use it, but they prefer roosting in the run. I do shut them in when I know there is a monsoon coming or a heavy rain (very rare for either to happen). They seem to be very happy and even with the cooler weather their egg production has not really dropped. The 5 girls still give me 3 or 4 eggs a day. The same goes for the smaller coop at the other end. I have one hen in there because she was getting picked on. She also perfers to roost in the run. I am going to rotate them one at a time into the smaller run so that the "feather picked" girls can fill back in.
Marianne
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Okay, refresh my memory..are you going to put the travel trailer next to the run, or at the end where the bigger coop is now? Next to the run would be cool, easy for them to get in, etc.
Then the existing coop would be a great place to put chicks. Then the bigger girls will get used to the cheeping, etc. Might make the 'getting to know you' stage a bit easier. If you could scrounge up a bit of fencing, maybe make a little hoop house within the run, just for the chicks to get outside when the weather is good enough and they're feathered, etc. Or fence in a little space at that end of the run... The big girls won't be able to get too agressive (they'll still stick their heads through the chicken wire and peck at 'em), and the little girls will have a way to hightail it back to their safe area. Just a thought...
Oh, you don't even need a board for a roost. Not that I spotted a forest of trees in your pics, but is there a nice sized stick/branch you could use for a roost?
Edited to add: We fenced in below our coop, too. Gave the hens a bit more room to roam plus there's always a shady spot for them to hang out. In the hottest part of the summer, I'll freeze gallon jugs of water, then take one out to put under the coop. Sometimes the hens will lay next to it, or peck at the cold droplets of water forming on it.
Then the existing coop would be a great place to put chicks. Then the bigger girls will get used to the cheeping, etc. Might make the 'getting to know you' stage a bit easier. If you could scrounge up a bit of fencing, maybe make a little hoop house within the run, just for the chicks to get outside when the weather is good enough and they're feathered, etc. Or fence in a little space at that end of the run... The big girls won't be able to get too agressive (they'll still stick their heads through the chicken wire and peck at 'em), and the little girls will have a way to hightail it back to their safe area. Just a thought...
Oh, you don't even need a board for a roost. Not that I spotted a forest of trees in your pics, but is there a nice sized stick/branch you could use for a roost?
Edited to add: We fenced in below our coop, too. Gave the hens a bit more room to roam plus there's always a shady spot for them to hang out. In the hottest part of the summer, I'll freeze gallon jugs of water, then take one out to put under the coop. Sometimes the hens will lay next to it, or peck at the cold droplets of water forming on it.
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CheerioLounge
Dessert Dreamer
SSD: You know I will!!!
Marianne: You are reading my mind (or maybe I posted that somewhere...
) I was planning to put the trailer alongside the existing run with the trailer door accessible from outside the run. I also plan to enlarge the run with the fencing recycled from the old garden site. The existing larger of the 2 coops will be for the youngin's. I don't know if you saw my earlier post... I think I will have to postpone the trailer remodel. Unfortunately, I need it for storage right now. 
I can still enlarge the run and I'm sure I can scrounge, beg, borrow or steal enough lumber to build another coop for the new kids. I will just have to "Make it Work!"
Marianne: You are reading my mind (or maybe I posted that somewhere...
) I was planning to put the trailer alongside the existing run with the trailer door accessible from outside the run. I also plan to enlarge the run with the fencing recycled from the old garden site. The existing larger of the 2 coops will be for the youngin's. I don't know if you saw my earlier post... I think I will have to postpone the trailer remodel. Unfortunately, I need it for storage right now. I can still enlarge the run and I'm sure I can scrounge, beg, borrow or steal enough lumber to build another coop for the new kids. I will just have to "Make it Work!"
Marianne
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Oh crap. Yes, I did read your post about postponing. I must have read it too fast - I do the speed reading thing - I missed the storage issue. Oh well, every thing in it's time, right? Too bad you aren't closer, we still have some scrap fencing, lumber, etc, suitable for a small project. But now you'll have time to plan things out using materials that come along.
