Written by Heather Zubiate
ere they were, the East Side Girls, as lil chicks. Two Black Australorps, four Welsummers, and four Amerucanas, ten in all, but according to chicken math, it's really only three chickens. While they were warming their lil hineies under the heat lamp, I was hard at work fixing up their coop and putting up fencing for their run. I'm now thinking that this area can be used in the future to raise "meaties" when I get the nerve to do so. But for now, it's home to my expanded egg production operation.
Here is the beginnings of my east ward expansion, coop 2.0 is ready and in place. Now begins the enclosure of the run.
A seven foot tall fence will run behind the succulent garden from the back wall to the cottage garden walkway, and cripple wall fencing will run along the perimeter block walls also topping out at seven feet tall. I will be putting up an arbor for roses at the entrance.
The fencing is up all around the perimeter. The Meyer lemon, Variegated Pink lemon, Mission fig, and mystery avocado trees will all provide the girls with shade. I'm still trying to decide if I need to make more covered shelter, but I don't want to shade any of these trees as they all need full sun.
The entrance is almost done. I just need some stone and/or brick for the stoop, and to finish the trellis for the rose that will be planted on the right of the door.
The stone and brick stoop is ready for business! I recycled a glass mosaic stepping stone I had made a few years ago that ended up getting buried in the mud near coop west's egg boxes. And I found some bricks lying around from another project. Then I filled in the spaces with the sand I used from the front brick patio project a few years ago -- I just love recycling.
This picture was taken today, May 23, 2019. I had forgotten to take a picture when the trellis was newly made a few months ago, so the weathered look is nice, and you can see the Romantica Pretty in Pink Eden climbing rose I got for my birthday is planted and will be trained to climb it. As you can see, this is where the all grown up East Side Girls gather when they hear me coming with something kitchen scraps for the compost pile, or to give them some green clippings form the gardens. They know a good thing when the hear and see it! Don't you, girls?