michigan | Ferndale Chickens

Plants that are TOXIC to chickens

Posted on March 27, 2013February 24, 2015 by LauraMikulski

Spring has sprung, and the chickens are getting much more outside time. With that in mind, while doing spring yard cleanup, it’s smart to pay extra attention to things that could potentially damage your foraging hens. The winter snow covers so much, and invariably I find things like screws, nails, candy wrappers, Styrofoam pieces & cigarette butts that somehow find their way into my yard. If I don’t clean those things up, the chickens WILL find them- and if they find them, they’ll try to eat them. They’re not always the smartest of birds.

Additionally, spring is a good time to review what sort of plants you have growing in and around your yard, to make sure you’re not exposing your chickeny charges to something dangerous. Below, I’ve pasted a list of toxic plants from chickenkeepingsecrets.com:

ARUM LILY	ELEPHANT EAR (TARO)	MOONSEED
AMARYLLIS	ENGLISH IVY	MORNING GLORY
ARALIA	ERGOT	MTN. LAUREL
ARROWHEAD VINE	EUCALYPTUS (DRIED, DYED OR TREATED IN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS)	MUSHROOMS, AMANITA
AUTUMN CROCUS	EUONYMUS (SPINDLE TREE)	MYRTLE
AUSTRALIAN FLAMETREE	EUPHORBIA CACTUS	NARCISSUS
AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE	FALSE HELLEBORE	NETTLES
AVOCADO	FLAME TREE	NIGHTSHADES: (DEADLY, BLACK, GARDEN, WOODY, BITTERSWEET,
AZALEA	FELT PLANT (MATERNITY, AIR & PANDA PLANTS)	EGGPLANT, JERUSALEM CHERRY)
BANEBERRY	FIG (WEEPING)	OAK
BEANS: (CASTOR, HORSE, FAVA, BROAD, GLORY, SCARLET RUNNER,	FIRE THORN	OLEANDER
MESCAL, NAVY, PREGATORY)	FLAMINGO FLOWER	OXALIS
BIRD OF PARADISE	FOUR O’CLOCK	PARSLEY
BISHOP’S WEED	FOXGLOVE	PEACE LILY
BLACK LAUREL	GLOTTIDIUM	PERIWINKLE
BLACK LOCUST	GOLDEN CHAIN	PHILODENDRONS: (SPLIT LEAF, SWISS CHEESE, HEART-LEAF)
BLEEDING HEART OR DUTCHMAN’S BREECHES	GRASS: (JOHNSON, SORGHUM, SUDAN & BROOM CORN)	PIGWEED
BLOODROOT	GROUND CHERRY	POINCIANA
BLUEBONNET	HEATHS: (KALMIA, LEUCOTHO, PEIRES, RHODODENDRON, MTN. LAUREL,	POINSETTIA
BLUEGREEN ALGAE	BLACK LAUREL, ANDROMEDA & AZALEA)	POISON IVY
BOXWOOD	HELIOTROPE	POISON HEMLOCK
BRACKEN FERN	HEMLOCK: (POISON & WATER)	POISON OAK: (WESTERN & EASTERN)
BUCKTHORN	HENBANE	POKEWEED
BULB FLOWERS: (AMARYLLIS, DAFFODIL, NARCISSUS, HYACINTH & IRIS)	HOLLY	POTATO SHOOTS
BURDOCK	HONEYSUCKLE	POTHOS
BUTTERCUP	HORSE CHESTNUT	PRIVET
CACAO	HORSE TAIL	PYRACANTHA
CAMEL BUSH	HOYA	RAIN TREE
CASTOR BEAN	HYACINTH	RANUNCULUS, BUTTERCUP
CALADIUM	HYDRANGEA	RAPE
CANA LILY	IRIS IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS)	RATTLEBOX, CROTALARIA
CARDINAL FLOWER	JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT	RED MAPLE
CHALICE (TRUMPET VINE)	JASMINE (JESSAMINE)	RED SAGE (LANTANA)
CHERRY TREE	JERUSALEM CHERRY	RHUBARB LEAVES
CHINA BERRY TREE	JIMSONWEED	RHODODENDRONS
CHRISTMAS CANDLE	JUNIPER	ROSARY PEA SEEDS
CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA BOWER)	KY. COFFEE TREE	SAND BOX TREE
CLIVIA	LANTANA (RED SAGE)	SKUNK CABBAGE
COCKLEBUR	LARKSPUR	SORREL (DOCK)
COFFEE (SENNA)	LILY OF THE VALLEY	SNOW DROP
COFFEE BEAN (RATTLEBUSH, RATTLE BOX & COFFEEWEED)	LILY, ARUM	SPURGES: (PENCIL TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN, CANDELABRA, CROWN OF THORNS)
CORAL PLANT	LOBELIA	STAR OF BETHLEHEM
CORIANDER	LOCOWEED (MILK VETCH)	SWEET PEA
CORNCOCKLE	LOCUSTS, BLACK / HONEY	SWISS CHEESE PLANT (MONSTERA)
COYOTILLO	LORDS & LADIES (CUCKOOPINT)	TANSY RAGWORT
COWSLIP	LUPINE	TOBACCO
CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON	MALANGA	UMBRELLA PLANT
DAFFODIL	MARIJUANA (HEMP)	VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON
DAPHNE	MAYAPPLE (MANDRAKE)	VIRGINIA CREEPER
DATURA STRAMONIUM (ANGEL’S TRUMPET)	MEXICAN BREADFRUIT	WATTLE
DEATH CAMUS	MEXICAN POPPY	WEEPING FIG
DELPHINIUM	MILKWEED, COTTON BUSH	WHITE CEDAR, CHINA BERRY
DEVIL’S IVY	MISTLETOE	WISTERIA
DIEFFENBACHIA (DUMB CANE)	MOCK ORANGE	YEWS
ELDERBERRY	MONKSHOOD	YELLOW JASMIN

This is in no ways definitive, and there are other lists floating around out there. For instance, this list on poultryhelp.com cites several plants that aren’t on the list above, such as lamb’s quarters, a common backyard weed in Michigan. I’ve found nothing that indicates lamb’s quarters are toxic for chickens- in fact, my chickens have eaten them since last year, and I regularly eat them in salads and spinach pie. Likewise, that list also cites alfalfa, which many chicken keepers give directly to their hens. Do your homework with plants you may have around, watch what your chickens go after, and be cautious. For instance, from the above list I have quite a few toxic plants, like daffodils, burdock, wisteria, and lily of the valley. I noticed a few days ago that my daffodils are starting to poke through the ground, and one curious hen grabbed a bit of green in her beak. Before I could chase her off, she let go and walked away- on some of the more toxic plants, they’ll leave them alone of their own accord. Does that mean I trust the chickens to 100% never eat anything dangerous, or that I could leave them in their chicken tractor parked over a bed of daffodils. Nope. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and to limit their access to poisonous plants in ways that make sense. Most of the things naturally growing in your yard will be fine for your chickens to peck and eat- keep them away from tomato plants & potato plants (nightshades), ornamental plants, and seedpods (especially wisteria).

Feather Pickin’ Chicken, Pt2

Posted on February 1, 2013 by LauraMikulski

The Jerk is at it again. She’s even pecking me, hard, on the leg while I’m out in the run cleaning.

I’ve put cat toys out there; cabbages; low-energy treats like greens, squash, etc; a tennis ball; as well as letting them out more often, even though the Jerk doesn’t WANT to go out, because her feet get too cold. None of that was stopping her from picking at BB and Dumptruck.

So, the Jerk is now isolated. On the advice of other chicken owners, I’ve removed her from the flock and placed her in a dog crate in the basement- this’ll give the other two a little time to heal, and rearrange the pecking order a bit. Hopefully by shaking things up I’ll get her to stop long enough to get them through winter; in spring, they’ll have much more outside time and be less likely to have this issue.

The heroes of the day are Ben, for helping me set up the isolation pen and restraining the ladies with injuries so that I could properly coat them with Blu-Kote; the other hero is Blu-Kote, which is amazing in it’s ability to mask the blood to stop the picking, as well as being antiseptic.

The full gallery of injuries can be viewed here on imgur- the picture file sizes were way too big for my poor blog to handle.

Have you experienced this? What did you do to fix the problem? I’d love to add to my list of suggestions.

List of advice I’ve been given:

-picked up the Jerk and hold her while the others run around and have a good time, to shake up the pecking order a bit

-check their protein level in the food. When they don’t get adequate protein, they’ll eat feathers (saw this during their molt). This is definitely not a nutritional deficiency, since she wasn’t even eating the feathers- she was pulling them out and spitting them onto the ground.

-give them all low-calorie veggie treats to keep them occupied but not give them extra energy

-Let them free range (not possible in the city, and their outside time is limited due to the extremely cold weather anyway

-Provide entertainment. I’ve used an automatic laser pointer cat toy, tennis balls, a treat dispenser, dangling toys, a hanging cabbage, etc. No change in behavior.

-isolate the Jerk to rearrange the pecking order and let the others heal.

1 year down, many more to go!

Posted on January 11, 2013May 2, 2013 by LauraMikulski

2ndyearcooprenewal — First and second year coop licenses/inspection approvals

Second year coop license! Coop license renewal went well, and the hens behaved themselves in front of the city inspector.

While the inspector was out, we showed him our water heater (a cookie tin with a light bulb in it), explained why we have plastic wrapped around the run (wind break during cold, snowy spells), and explained why the hens weren’t laying (not enough daylight hours).

While he was out, he mentioned that we were the first coop to fill out renewal papers and be inspected. In case any Ferndalians read this, just a reminder: your coop license expires Dec 31 every year, no matter when you got approved. The renewal process is very straight forward: fill out your packet of information just as you did when you originally registered, minus the coop drawings, and take it back to the city clerks office with your check for $35. Bingo, bammo, done deal. You can schedule your inspection at that time as well, which is what I did- I wanted it done and over with as soon as possible.

The inspector mentioned there are a few other homes in Ferndale now with registered coops… I’m really interested in contacting the other registered coop owners to see if they’d be interested in planning a coop tour in spring. Something informational, with handouts on chicken keeping at every coop- might be a nice way to get more people registered and on board with it.

I also started a Facebook page, just to make it easier to get the word out about Ferndale chicken issues: http://www.facebook.com/FerndaleBackyardChickens

as well as a google+ page to help us gain some more visibility:

https://plus.google.com/b/103161687709305818453/103161687709305818453/posts

Here’s hoping 2013 will be a great year!

Snow Chickens

Posted on December 28, 2012March 27, 2013 by LauraMikulski

The ladies have been completely terrified of the snow, until recently. I had to show them that it wasn’t dangerous by opening their door and calling them out with some scratch treat, but the other two followed Big Bossy out as she came toward me.

Chicken Coop Site Map & Structural Plan

Posted on May 21, 2012January 19, 2013 by LauraMikulski

As part of our ordinance, we had to submit a site map and structural drawing for the chicken coop. Ben put his engineering background to good use and put together these:

Site Map/ Site Plan

Chicken Coop Plans2 — Click for full size version. Site map/site plan: shows property lines and positions of all permanent structures. Basically a copy of my “platt map”, which I received when I purchased my home- you can get a copy from the city offices. Obviously we had to add the location/dimensions of the coop.

Structural Drawing

Chicken Coop Plans1 — Click for full size version. Structural drawing: shows the dimensions of the coop from overhead, the side, and the front. Also a detailed drawing of the footer we used, and materials listing. Everything must be drawing to scale.

Please be aware that everything must be to scale when submitting to the city of Ferndale, just like you’d have with a building plan for a home or garage. It’s not too difficult, but is certainly intimidating if you’ve never done it before.

MYTH: Chickens stink!

Posted on May 18, 2012January 19, 2013 by LauraMikulski

P1040615 — they may give you the stink eye, but they don’t actually stink

The fear of odor problems caused by backyard chickens is unwarranted. Chickens themselves do not smell- only their feces that have the potential to stink, which is also true of feces from dogs, cats, or any other animal that leaves waste in the yard. But unlike dogs and cats, who leave waste on the lawns of their neighbors or in public places, chicken waste in an urban setting is confined to the coop & run, due to ordinances disallowing them to free range.

It’s also important to realize that the maximum number of chickens a city allows is just four. Four small hens weigh less than 20 pounds collectively, and generate less waste than one average dog. (In Ferndale, we currently only allow 3 hens.)

Furthermore, chicken manure is a highly valued fertilizer that can be used in the garden, whereas waste from dogs and cats cannot because of the parasites and human diseases it can harbor. According to Dr. Hermes, OSU Extension Poultry Specialist, “Once added to the compost or tilled into the soil, the odor-causing compounds are no longer able to cause objectionable odors.” This statement is an exact quote taken from his letter in support of chickens in Salem, OR. http://www.salemchickens.com/

The reason people fear an odor problem is because their only experience with chickens (if they have any at all), is a farm or commercial poultry operation. In these situations, chickens are viewed as a commodity and are raised with the intention of profit from meat or egg production. Under those circumstances, hundreds, if not thousands, of chickens are often kept in crowded conditions with poor ventilation or regular cleaning. As a result, ammonia can build up and these facilities can stink. In contrast, people who want to raise hens as pets in the city are not looking to make a profit: they want eggs laid by healthy, happy chickens that they treat like pets. A few small birds housed at least 10’ from adjacent dwellings and in close proximity to the owner’s home, are extremely unlikely to create an odor problem for neighbors.

Composting chicken manure is a wonderful bonus to keeping chickens- the high nitrogen content of their manure breaks down high carbon items quickly and efficiently (sometimes almost too quickly, see blog: http://backyardfeast.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/composting-chicken-manure-watch-the-heat/) Adding the manure to compost eliminates any smell associated with the manure.

Additionally, there are steps urban chicken keepers can take to reduce the chances of odors even further: use a deep litter method of bedding, or use sand. I prefer the sand method in my run, where the chickens spend most of their day- it wicks moisture away, eliminating odor and the attraction of flies, drying out the manure in the same way cat litter does. I clean the run and coop once per day, throwing the waste into my composter; the only thing you can smell in my chicken run is their pine bedding and the flowers in the surrounding garden. With proper practices, no small scale chicken coop should EVER smell strongly enough that neighbors would notice.

MYTH: Chickens are noisy.

Posted on May 18, 2012January 19, 2013 by LauraMikulski

Only roosters crow loudly, not hens. Hens never crow and are generally quiet animals, with the exception of announcing the arrival of a freshly hatched egg. This sound is short-lived, never occurs at night, lasts only a few minutes and takes place once every 24 to 36 hours. Some hens are more vocal than others, depending on the breed, but there is no comparing the sound of a cackling hen to dogs that can bark all night long, power tools, lawn mowers, motorcycles, car alarms, trains, and the myriad of other loud noises frequently heard in the neighborhood.

decibel — chickens are *definitely* quieter than dogs

Please note that the 70dB is the potential level of sound energy, but that it would be a rare sound measured very close to the chicken (2ft). The inverse distance law predicts that at ten times the distance (20ft), the sound pressure would drop a tenth, equivalent to a decibel drop of 20dB. That means that for a chicken making a 70dB sound in it’s outdoor enclosure, their neighbor will experience it as 50dB’s- roughly equivalent to a quiet conversation at home. Noise is even further reduced if the chicken makes a sound within their laying coop rather than the outdoor enclosure.

I invite you to watch and listen to my 3 pullets at 9 weeks old- they’re just getting their “big girl” voices, and you can hear a sample of a “bawk” in the video below. Bonus: they look hilarious.

Chicks on a sunny day.

Chickens in Hot Weather: 17 Ways to Help Keep Your Flock Cool This Summer

Posted on May 17, 2012June 20, 2012 by LauraMikulski

Chickens in Hot Weather: 17 Ways to Help Keep Your Flock Cool This Summer.

I’ve been worrying about this for a while- it seems silly right? Worrying about chickens getting too hot in Michigan. I get asked a ton of questions about keeping chickens through our cold winters, but nobody ever thinks to ask if they’ll be ok in 90+ degree weather with high humidity. Chickens’ bodies perform best below about 75 degrees F; over 90F they can start to have real problems, especially heavier breeds. They can suffer heat stress and stop laying eggs, and on the extreme end of the scale they can die. We had an incident when the chicks had only been here for a week- it was early March, they were tiny and living in a brooder box under a heat lamp, and our weird Michigan weather zoomed up to the high 80’s. I came home from work and found the little chicks panting and laying down in the brooder box, wings outspread. I’m pretty sure that scarred me, and I’ve been paranoid about temperature extremes ever since.

Luckily, the blog I linked to above has some great tips for keeping chickens cool in the summer heat. I’ve reprinted their tips below in bold, with my take on how it’ll work for me:

Provide shade: the girls like to hang out under their coop even now, digging shallow holes and taking dust baths. In the summer, I’m assuming this will be where they spend a lot of their time- if I feel like they’re not getting enough shade, I may just throw a tarp over the top of the run to provide a little extra protection from the sun.
Keep them supplied with cold water: it should be pretty easy to toss a few ice cubes into their waterer, and since I usually keep it in the coop it’ll be shaded.
Provide dirt bath areas: the girls have already created some good spots for dust bathing, in the shadow of their coop. I have a hard time imagining any scenario where a chicken didn’t have a place for dust bathing, unless they had a wire or concrete floor in their run.
Add electrolytes to their water: I picked up several packs of these from Tractor Supply when I was getting supplies before getting the chicks- we still haven’t used them, so when it gets hot I’ll definitely add them to the water.
Turn off lights in the coop: no problem here, since we don’t have a light in the coop.
Increase the ventilation in the coop: we have two vents in the ceiling with adjustable vent flaps that can direct air in or keep it out, and a large screened back window. In the summer, we’ll definitely keep the back window shutter open, adjust the vent flaps to direct air in, and there’s the possibility of leaving the front leaded glass doors open (I don’t like that idea, because even though we’re confident that the run is predator proof, I’d rather not take any chances).
Place reflective foil on the roof of the coop in the morning: kinda the premise behind those car dashboard visors. We likely won’t use this due to the green roof, but it’s a smart tip to keep in mind with other coops.
Give them a shallow pan of water: like a bird bath! In general I want to keep these chickens completely dry, but if they opt to splash around in some water, I won’t stop them.
Install a fan in the coop: I’ve been considering this, but with my set up I’m not sure how I could make it work. The fans would need to be on the side of the coop, and I certainly wouldn’t want them there in the winter; I’d need to install them and then board them up when it got too cold out. If there’s a way I can do this without destroying the aesthetic of the coop and/or compromising the structures ability to keep them warm and dry in the winter, I’ll consider it.
Give them cold/frozen fruits and vegetables: watermelon seems like it would be a great choice for this. I’ll definitely be doing this one.
Don’t feed them cracked corn: I’ll save the cracked corn for cold weather, since it brings up their body temp.
Dig a shallow pit and lightly mist it with water: I can see doing this in extreme situations, making the hole deeper than it would normally be from their dust bathing.
Freeze water bottles or milk jugs with ice: kinda like air conditioning for the chickens! I bet they’d wind up scared of it, like they are of most new things. Still, in an extreme situation, this seems like it would help immensely.
Leave them alone: keeping their stress levels low is the name of the game, and something I try to do regularly anyway. The only time these girls really get ruffled up is when my bf’s dog circles the coop run, breathing heavily.
Put sprinklers on the coop roof: I can’t do this with my setup, but I do wonder if watering the green roof wil help.
Decrease the litter in the coop: we only have maybe an inch and a half of pine shavings in the coop at present, and the litter gets cleaned daily, so this may not help much. The theory is that deep litter acts like a compost pile, generating heat- so, if you’re a deep litter coop, you’ll want to take this advice to keep the heat level down.
Mist them with cool water: I’m pretty sure the chickens would freak out if I did this, so chances are I won’t.

Armed with these tips, I’m hoping I won’t have a repeat of our “too hot” incident- I’ll still keep my eyes peeled for signs of heat stress throughout summer.

SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS:

-panting, with beak open

-laying around with wings outstretched

-no interest in eating

-slow to respond to stimuli, unresponsive

We’re legal!

Posted on May 16, 2012May 21, 2012 by LauraMikulski

Yesterday, the city inspector walked into the backyard saying “This should only take about 2 seconds, I’ve seen the paperwork you submitted”.

P1040832 — who wouldn’t approve this thing?

Basically, the inspection centered around the coop being structurally sound. He checked the roofing to make sure it was secure, and the fencing and nesting box door hinges. He asked what we’ll do in the winter, and I told him I’m firmly against heating the coop- the chickens I have will grow to be big girls, and they’ll essentially be wearing down coats. He seemed pleased with that, since there had been an incident several years ago involved a wire shorting out on a coop in Ferndale- my worst fear.

The permit expires on December 31st every year, so I’ll need to go into the city and schedule another inspection and pay my fee in early December. I figure I’ll just do it around the same time I renew my car registration.

The chickens aren’t very impressed with this latest turn of events, but they did run off with the building inspection sticker we received.

P1040873 — if it’s in my hands, it might be food, right?

P1040878 — see that beak? somebody snatched the approved sticker from my hand a second later.

After all is said and done, the chickens are happy, I’m happy, and my neighbors are happy. Everyone seems to like the coop, and they get a kick out of the girls antics- or lack thereof, since the ladies have been lounging a lot in their beachy coop.

What a hard life!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by LauraMikulski

The girls are enjoying a nice warm day, perched on the edge of their coop window. I’m pretty jealous of them.

Today is the big day- we’re turning in the building permit and fees associated for the coop license. Keep you fingers crossed- I’m hoping the inspector will be able to come out in the next few days to check it out and give his blessing.

Chicks dig dirt.

Posted on May 2, 2012 by LauraMikulski

The chicks are enjoying a nice dust bath in the shade on this steamy spring day.

These girls are the fat orange cats of the chicken world, and as such are already getting a little spoiled. They come running at the sight of me in the backyard, not out of affection, but because I usually have a delicious treat. Lately it’s been dandelion greens, broccoli leaves, strawberries, and a tiny piece of ham. I think they nearly lost their little chicken minds over that piece of ham.

P1040720 — Once Big Bossy gets a bite, everyone moves in for some, now that they know it’s safe.

The girls are getting bigger every day, and looking more and more like real chickens. I think I may have even heard a cluck last night as I was closing them into their coop.

P1040734 — Chickens have inscrutable faces- the only way to tell if they’re angry is body language, since their faces have a permanent frown.

Ferndale Chicken Coop Paperwork: where to get it, how to fill it out

Posted on April 30, 2012 by LauraMikulski

The city has put together a nice bundle of paperwork for the backyard coop permitting/inspection process. I’ve taken pics of the sheets from the bundle for any prospective chicken owner to peruse before putting together their coop:

The building permit needs to be filled out, much like you would if you were building a shed.

In addition to filling out the building permit and chicken coop application, they require a basic site plan indicating that the location of the coop meets the dimensional requirements and a plan for the coop’s construction demonstrating that the material requirements are being met. The fee for the permit is $35 annually, and is paid when you submit your application to the city. You can schedule your coop inspection at the same time. The permit and application are available at City Hall, which is also where you turn in the completed paperwork.

Putting together my site plan tonight, and should be able to turn in the completed paperwork tomorrow. Can’t wait to have everything done and legal!

Dogs living with chickens? It can work!

Posted on April 27, 2012April 27, 2012 by LauraMikulski

The only thing I was worried about with keeping backyard hens was my dog’s reaction.

Hurley is fast, and has the highest prey drive I’ve ever seen in a dog. I’ve watched this dog snatch low flying birds out of the air, and found countless headless carcasses in my backyard. I stopped feeding birds in the backyard for this very reason.

Before letting these chicks out into their run on a trial basis, Hurley managed to snatch a fledgling sparrow. I yelled, she dropped it, and it hopped away while she looked ashamed. With that fresh in my mind, I was incredibly nervous about the prospect of her reaction to seeing large, tasty looking birds hopping around on the ground right in front of her (albeit separated by a fence).

Looks like all my worrying was unfounded.

hurleywatching — She still has to look at them from time to time- they make fascinating noises!

hurleyopenmouth — Satisfied that they're not up to anything worthwhile, Hurley goes back to watching the yard.

hurleycoop — Hurley is way more interested in what I'm up to.

hurleylaying — And now she's bored enough that she's just going to lay down in the dirt. Nice.

I’m counting myself lucky. I think these birds spent enough time in the house and around me that they’re exempt from the normal backyard prey menu.

A whole pack of paperwork: getting things permitted.

Posted on April 25, 2012April 25, 2012 by LauraMikulski

Paperwork was picked up from the city offices this morning, and after a brief glance everything seems pretty straightforward. We’re in compliance with all the rules, now we just need to draw up the dimensions and submit the application along with the $35 license fee.

The girls are strolling around their run during the daytime, and being brought inside like spoiled pets at night. What? it’s getting down into the low 30’s at night right now, and I’d be a hot mess if I inadvertently harmed them by leaving them out in the cold while they’re still so young. The good news is that the chicks are learning that the cat carrier is their best friend, and they walk right in with a little shooing when I come out at dusk.

Little Girl still has some of her head fluff hanging on, despite looking like a mini adult everywhere else. So cute! I love that she looks like a painting in this picture below. Part of me will miss having these little girls in the house, despite being relieved that I won’t have to clean up the wood shavings they kick out of their brooder box.

Chicks are growing, and need to be in the coop

Posted on April 24, 2012April 24, 2012 by LauraMikulski

They grow so fast!!

Here they are the day after I brought them home.

They’re quickly getting too big for the brooder, and I’m eager to get them outside. Little known fact: chickens wake up earlier than yours truly, and immediately want to be fed and run around. I’m all for that when I’m not sleeping less than a foot away from them.

Chicks acquired, coop nearing completion!

Posted on April 24, 2012April 24, 2012 by LauraMikulski

Lots of stuff happening in preparation for the permit and inspection!!

The chicks were acquired March 18th, and have been staying in my house in a brooder box. I didn’t get them at the tiny fluffball stage- they had a few “big girl” feathers, and were likely about 3 weeks old. They’re growing FAST, which means that I need to get them out of the brooder box and into the coop as soon as possible. It’s been a madhouse trying to get everything built and installed, but the end is in sight and we should have it ready for the chicks this weekend.

Now, the difficult part: trying to figure out who I need to contact at the city for the permitting process, and what forms (if any) need to be filled out.

Per the ordinance that was passed, “Completed applications shall be submitted to the community and economic development department along with the fee which shall be determined by city council resolution. Application shall be made to the community and economic development department and shall include any drawings or other information required by the department.”. I looked on the Ferndale city website, and couldn’t find any application. I feel weird about filling out a building permit application, or writing my own- but if it’s necessary, I will. I’d also like to know what the exact requirements are for drawings/information that I need to submit- can I just list out the dimensions, or do I need to mock up a drawing of the coop? So many questions, and no time to go down to city hall. Hopefully they respond to my email today, so I can get started on any paperwork and drop it off this week.