Nesting

Our baby chicks are due to arrive one week from today, and I'm beside myself with anticipation.  One dozen Black Australorps will grace this house with their female power.  It'll be nice to have some ladies to keep me company.  You know, someone to talk to.  Someone who understands the intricacies of a woman's mind.  Ben and the boys are great companions, but I expect that the girls and I will have a special bond. 

The little ladies will stay in our multi-purpose room for the first six weeks or so.  I'll move the grow lights out of there and put the brooder in front of the window so that they can get a taste of sunlight in addition to the heat lamp.  We should have plenty of time to finish the Hen House.  Ben is doing an amazing job on the construction, and I have BIG plans for the paint.

 This is what the Hen House looks like now:

South Side

I love the shutters.  They're just begging to be decorated.

North Side

 West Side

You can't really see it, but there's chicken wire above the door.  We decided to leave it open for air flow.  If it gets too cold in the winter, it can be easily covered.

I put in two beds last summer to mark the entrance to the trail in our backyard.  They are filled with irises, lilies, and lamb's ears.  I didn't know at the time that these flowers would also mark the entrance to our hen house.  How fortuitous!  This is one of my top ten favorite spots on the property.

We have everything the chicks will need except for the starter feed and bedding for the brooder.  We ordered most of the supplies online months ago, and we've been saving egg cartons since last summer.  We've had chick fever for a long time.