If I could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to start growing their own food it would be to get chickens.

Chicken poop is golden! It really made my garden take off. I am part of a community garden and my plants were healthy and strong compared to other plots. They also had less pest problems. My secret ingredient: composted chicken manure!

The very first thing you have to do before you get chickens is build your coop. I built a coop that would house my girls safely at night. I had to be there to let them out to wander about their chicken yard during the day. The reason being, that I had too many hens to leave in that size of coop all day. (Hens need about 1ft of roosting space each.) They would have picked on each other mercilessly. Chickens naturally go to roost at night fall so I had to be around to lock the doors before turning in for the evening. I built my coop along side “The Garden Girl. ” If I can do it anyone can!

My husband is a bit of a reluctant homesteader, which means that he will pitch in and help when he sees: 1. that I am totally discouraged and close to tears 2. Another strong male has offered to help me and I am taking him up on it, or lastly, as in this situation, he can clearly see that I am not giving up on my crazy idea to get chickens!

I kind of wished he hadn’t helped. I say this because his sauntering out with a glass of wine in both hands on Friday evening and screwing a few screws in hardly contributed to the forward motion of the project and then I couldn’t truthfully say that I had built my coop all by my self! It was however, more importantly, a small giving gesture that said; while he was not totally with me, he wasn’t totally against me. Sometimes it is the tiny gives and takes that makes a marriage successful;)

So with my coop built I was ready to get my chicks. To be truthful, as was my way, I had already purchased my chicks, which were happily chirping in the garage. Nothing like a quickly growing, pooping animal to spur a building project on. I here by solemnly swear that I will completely finish out my goat pen before purchasing the actual goats. My husband is reading this and thinking, “Goats, what goats? I didn’t agree to goats.” Hee hee! Remember honey, give and take, the emphasis on give, on your part. Although I am certain we can think of something, I have, that you could take. Any hoo back to chickens.

I ended up putting a corrugated roof on mine because the flat tarp on the original coop design begin to sag and collect water. The plan needs a more permanent roof for sure! Otherwise it was a great little starter coop that I would recommend to anyone!

I have to just pause and say here that there is NOTHING like the sweet chirping of baby chicks! It is maybe one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. My kids LOVED them and it was a big treat to take them out a little bit at a time to introduce them to the grassy backyard world. We found ourselves turning off the t.v. and tuning into the chicken channel every Spring/Summer evening. Add a glass of wine to that and you have yourself some serious countrified  entertainment in the middle of the city.

I hope I’ve inspired you to get chicks & build your own coop. Not necessarily in the order! Blessings Dash & her reluctant homesteader