"You Can't Stop Progress!"

Well, progress marches on! The coop is taking shape and the garden is now plowed, fenced and has a nice gate. Kate has planted peas, green beans and melons. Chickies continue their amazing growth! Several have the beginnings of their combs!










Betty Showing off her New Tail:















The garden taking shape:


















Betty looks perturbed about ducks in the yard....

The Chicken Palace Goes Up

Yoash and Noami are working hard to build the coop in time for chickies to move in.


Here, they have the trench dug and posts cemented in for the chicken run. The trench is for burying the wire two feet down - to prevent rodents and coyotes from digging under.








The floor is framed.














Building the walls.

Chickie Pictures at Last!

All nine chickies had their pictures taken - at two weeks of age here.

Here is Annabelle.














Here's Betty.















Here's Emily.














Here's Henrietta.










This one is Maggie! And Mikiko.

Work on the new Chicken Palace is well underway. Friends Yoash and Naomi are doing most of the work and doing an excellent job! A trench has been dug around the perimeter, and all the posts are in for the chicken run. The floor of the hen house is also done. Pictures tomorrow!

Got Chickens?

Riverbend Retreat got 4-day old baby chicks on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. We got three of each breed: Black Austrolorp, Silver-laced Wyandotte, and Buff Orpington. They were so tiny and timid those first few days, but have now doubled their size and are eating like pigs!

Names: Wyandottes: Betty, Minnie Pearl and Whoopie. Austrolorps: Mikiko, Henrietta, and Maggie. Orpingtons: Emily, Annabelle and Peggy Sue.


They are already developing personalities! Betty, one of the Wyandottes, always looks up at me when I speak to the chickies, and now, at two weeks of age, flies straight up toward my face when I speak to her. Today, she flew up and landed to perch on the edge of the rubbermaid tote we have them in!

Originally, we had all nine of the chicks in a 50 gallon rubbermaid tote, but today I split them up into two totes, as they were getting a little crowded. At first, I put the three Orpington's in the new tote, but they were very upset about it, crying loudly, and wouldn't settle down. I put them back and tried putting the three Wyandottes into the new tote. No problems! The Orpingtons just need to be with their buddies, I guess. Now, everybody's happy.