Welcoming the Girls Home!

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve updated this Outright Chicken blog - almost seven years - and there’s a definite reason  I’m updating it now. But before I go into that, let me give you a bit of history...

I started my Chicken Adventures in October 2011 (check out my first Outright Chicken entry HERE). My flock consisted of Bronny (a Dark Brahma), Mary and Sophia (both Ameraucana), Miss Lynn (a Red Star), Little Jo (a Black Silkie), and Arabella (a White silkie).

Our set up is a 4’x4’x6’ coop we call Coopenhagen. And we have a trapezoidal Chicken Run (Hensylvania) measuring roughly 12’x7’x6’. Shelter from the elements, safety from predators. A nice, roomy area, both inside and out. A great place to raise a small Flock.

Arabella passed away in March of 2013 (this was my last post up until now - check it out HERE). The rest of the Girls each lived much longer and productive lives, the last of whom - Miss Lynn - passing away in Autumn of 2017.

In 2018, California announced a Virulent Newcastle Disease Outbreak (read about that HERE) and any and all chickens needed to be quarantined. This also meant that there was a moratorium on selling chickens in California. And that meant that there was no new Flock for us. At least not at that time. But...

Welcome to 2020!

Not the best year on record in recent times, but as of June 1^st California's Newcastle Quarantine was lifted. New chickens were once again available to be purchased or adopted.

In the three years since Miss Lynn left us, Coopenhagen and Hensylvania started to run down. Paint faded. Hardware rusted. Ivy grew through the hardware cloth and took over a lot of the once wide open Run.

In early November of this year all of that changed.  Operation: Chicken Revival took effect. A new coat of paint for Coopenhagen. New Hardware on all the doors. A diatomaceous earthing of the Coop interior. The de-ivying of Hensylvania. A new Run door, as the last one had warped to the point of not being able close - and that just wouldn’t do. Why? Because it was time for us to re-chicken. And since a new Flock was imminent, their homestead needed to be not just in working order, but comfortable and safe.

Flash forward to November 16, 2020. Everything from fresh bedding in the Coop to new feeders and waterers to a bowlful of grit to a cabbage dangling from a chain in the Run was in place. The only thing missing was a Flock. Having said that, I'd like to introduce to you...

The Girls

Ruby

Molly

Daisy

Fern

Kit

For now we'll stick with this brief introduction. A future post will delve more into who these Girls are and hopefully answer a few question, while probably asking a few more. Stay tuned for that!

At this point, these Lovelies have made Coopenhagen and Hensylvania their own. It’s been a fun and interesting and informative time with them so far, and there will be more on all of that in upcoming posts, as well. Either way, we are thrilled to be able to raise these beauties. And we look forward to our time together and the stories that will come from it all.

Chickeny Updates coming soon!