Red Dirt Farm and Studio

So, how was y’alls week?

We ended the last week with lovely mild temperature and lots of sunshine.  Oh what a difference a few days make.

The wind is whipping and the temperatures are oh so cold.  Our power was on and off all night.

Snow is expected tomorrow.

I’m so glad I don’t live in Boston.

Last week I left y’all with exciting news; that the chickens were coming, ready or not.

Mr. Cottage and I (well ok – Mr. Cottage) spent a couple of hours fixing up a coop and coop yard for the girls.

Mr. Cottage was kind enough to give up his tool shed.

He cleared his tools out of the building and then got to work building a door.

He had to use what we had on hand, leftover wood from other projects, and old fencing.

It isn’t the prettiest coop in the world, but it works for temporary digs.

Mr. Cottage used scrap pieces of lumber to build their nesting boxes.

With the fencing in place, we were ready for our new tenants.

Meet Ethyl and Lucy.

Lucy is the first out of her box.

Ethyl is next.  The first thing she said was “Lucy we got vinyl flooring, we’re movin’ on up!”

“And a fenced in yard.”

Ethyl on the left and Lucy on the right.

Ethyl is bossy.

Lucy is quick to check out anything new.

I worried about Betsy Beagle, she has a history of chasing chickens.

She came over to the fence and took a good look at them.

So far, she had been good, no barking and no inclination that she wants to chase them.

Lucy says “do you mind, a little privacy please.”

By the next day it was as though they had always lived here.  It was my birthday and they graced me with my first two eggs!

It was pure treasure hunt pleasure digging through the straw finding two beautiful gifts from the girls.

Lucy has darker feathers and she lays darker eggs.

Soft fluffy tail feathers

Lucy always manages to turn a steely eye to the camera

The girls love my coop boots.  The first time I wore them, Ethyl snuck up beside me and unbuckled the strap.

I won’t even pretend like it bothers me, but they follow me everywhere I go and are constantly under my feet.

I purchased this cute basket to gather their eggs at a local thrift store.

Today the girls have been with us for a week and they are ready for their first day of free ranging.

I opened the fence and let them go on their way.

They are touring every nook and cranny, including all the dog houses.

I leave you with a little video, I hope it brings a giggle or two.

It is the egg song.  You can hear Cornelius crow singing along in the background.

Ethyl is the one doing all the talking, she is such a drama queen!

I love being a chicken momma!