we are back...!

well, HELLO! & thank you for not giving up on us as we took quite the hiatus...

my plan was to take april off from computer & internet, etc., which i did... it was hard to come back after that though. i would pop in to list things in our etsy shop & to check me email, but i was pretty much on & off in under an hour. too much to do y'know...with it being spring, the garden was calling, not to mention the beautiful sunny weather. so i didn't intentionally give up on the blog...

@ any rate, we are now back & have much to share. it'll take a bit to get everyone caught up on where we are right now. today, though, is about our new batch of chicklets! HOORAY!!! we are definitely a chicken loving family & well, when you have sweet little peeps in the house, it is easy to see why...

they are just so cute & FLUFFY!!!

we ordered 8 chicks this go round, 4 ameraucana bantams

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?session.category=Bantams&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT%5fID%20%3d%20%27AMABS%27

& 4 golden laced wyandottes

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?session.category=Chickens&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT%5fID%20%3d%20%27GLWS%27

they are all so much more adventurous that our first lot!

now, for a few introductions...

this is marshmellow, one the bantams, named by our 4 yr old ehren.

this is shadow, another bantam.

& this is thunder chicken, he is a superhero. he lept over 3 of the other chicks in a single bound! & though he is the smallest by far, he is the only one who has flown out of the box i put them in while i clean out the brooder...

i *think* he is a bantam b/c of his size, but his coloring leads me to think he might just be the wyandotte runt...only time will tell.

more chickens means another tractor in the works...;)

i bought this coop from our neighbor for $40, a pretty good deal seeing as how they were selling cheap plastic dog houses for $30 on craigslist. my plan is to cut it right down the middle & have 2 tractors.

this coop needs quite a bit of tlc & a gutting, but i am super excited. i am going to strip the lattice fencing from the bottom & add on a solid plywood floor. i also need to add the run, a roosting perch & entrance ramp, along with raising the coop up on a platform so that the chicks can get out of the rain when they need to...

actually, i am headed to work on the first bit right now, so i'll keep you updated with photos & whatnot. hoping that i can repurpose a lot of the wood already on the coop for my own modifications... we'll see...

happy summer everyone!!