red chicken coop

The chicken coop got all fancied up.

Layla's first choice was pink.

That option was rejected by upper management (aka me).

Her second choice was barn red. 

So that's what we did.

It was a tad bigger project than was originally expected. 
Because the kids started painting the chicken wire red. 
Upper management wasn't ok with that either. 
All the chicken wire had to come off and then be put back on.

We also learned that some people are more careful with their painting than others. 
So that person got to do some touch ups. 
(I'm actually not even talking about the one who is pictured here haha).

But now the chickens have a beautiful red home to enjoy.

They are some very loved chickens.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to the original two. 

Turns out they were roosters. 

That was a sad day.

 But we still have four happy chickens living the good life in a red coop in our backyard. 

backyard chickens

 Layla was thrilled when she got her chicks for Christmas.

She has pretty much faithfully taken care of them since that day. She learned how to feed them and change their water. She spent hours out in that garage playing with them. And now they have grown up and graduated from a box in the garage to their very own chicken coop.

Eric carried out this project with help from many of our kids. They designed it to be big enough for all the backyard chickens, and maybe even some rabbits in the future (another dream of Layla’s).

There are still a few things that need to be finished on the coop (like painting). But I think these chickens are happy in their new home!

Well, happy until Brinna opens the coop and let’s them escape.

Thankfully between kyler, Layla, and Eric the two times she has done this, the chickens were quickly returned to the safety of their coop. (Brinna’s 3 year old spunky behavior keeps on our toes for sure:) ).

If you pick a fight with a squirrel . . .

If you pick a fight with a squirrel,

you are going to get bit.

It was the squirrel who started it.
He was running all over the chicken coop and trying to get into the chickens food.
Eric saw it through the window so he went outside to scare it away.
It didn't move when he went out there, so he threw a pine cone at it.  And he hit it.
The squirrel still didn't go away so Eric decided to take a stick to it.
He picked up the stick and swung and the squirrel jumped on E's shoulder, bit him in the ear, and scurried away.

While the two marks on E's ear lobe bled a lot, he is not yet foaming from the mouth.

Eric gets some gnarly injuries because of chickens here.