Spring Chicken Fever

As I sit here looking out the window at the fresh spattering of snow on the ground, I realize we've got a serious case of spring chicken fever. It needs to start warming up, and fast. We have well pits to dig and chicken coops to build. This below freezing stuff is seriously impeding our progress. We need to get cracking 'cause I've now got six eggs coming this week from Iggy and Etta, too.

Iggy
Etta

I've been tinkering with the incubator all day. The temperature has to be between 99.5 and 101.5 degrees with 50 % humidity. Easier said than done. This is complicated stuff, it's going to require continued tinkering. How on earth hens can do this all by themselves with brains the size of a pea must truly be one of life's miracles.

We did get the mini coop assembled this weekend. I tried doing it by myself and had to beg for assistance before the end of step one. I swear those ready to assemble kit instructions are badly written on purpose. They can't really think people understand those pictures can they? I think it's just some guy's way of sticking to the man, only we're the ones getting stuck.


This will serve as transitional housing when the birds first get moved outside. The hubster is going to build a large fenced run and attach it to give them plenty of room to scratch in the grass. Because, after all, that's pretty much all chickens do. After they move out I plan to keep it for a hospital coop. I could also use it for a maternity ward if I get a hen that wants to raise her own chicks. Or, chickens can be meaner than grade school kids on a playground and often need separated. In that case, it could be considered solitary confinement.