Finally--!

Found a use for about 1/320,000th of the rocks in the back yard...

The new run is now lined all along the outside with a thick layer of rocks to deter digging predators, and is ready for the chicks to occupy!

Second Run Progress...

It's gettin' there! The door is on and all four sides are up.

All that is left is to secure the bottom wire to the ground to thwart any digging predators, attach it to the coop building and add roosts and a daytime shade cover. It should be ready for the chicks to move into in another day or two!

Although they don't seem to be in any real hurry. Linc started this weird 'lie on your side' thing and now she's got the rest of the chicks doing it.

Leave it to Linc to start a dumb new chicken fad...

Meanwhile, the back yard is actually starting to look better, the weeds, volunteer plants and years of trash & junk are getting cleared away. Plus the damned junipers are slowly getting tamed/removed, although we will for sure be renting a chainsaw soon to eliminate about 6 of them.

Endless Yard Work And Second Chicken Run

I'm starting to feel like that guy in myth who had to forever push that damned rock up a hill. No matter how many days on end we spend chopping and hacking at the juniper bushes in the back yard, they never, EVER seem to be going away. We have, however, by dint of raking and ruthlessly yanking crap out from under them, produced piles and piles of yard garbage.

The score so far stands at 4 giant metal stakes, 2 giant metal grappling hooks (yeah, I don't know, either), a sprinkler head, 2 huge hunks of carpeting, assorted 2x4s and other wood bits, 3 baseballs and a metal rake. Not counting a giant pile of run-of-the-mill trash like plastic milk jugs, beer cans, airsoft pellets and snuff containers. Also not counting the 4 volunteer elm trees we've cut down that were growing in VERY bad places. On the plus side, three of the four fire ant hills in the back yard are gone, and the last one is getting all my love, attention and borax/sugar treatments. I don't care if they are dead or have just moved on as long as they are GONE.

And that's just what we've pulled out from under the EDGE of the juniper bushes, no telling what we'll find once we really get in there and chop the thrice damned things out to remove them.

Also, two unmatched horseshoes, one of which sports toe clips. I'm wondering, if I find the other two do I win a free pony? I will I just find the unfortunate wearer of the shoes at some point?

The second chicken run will be attached to the coop so they can eventually share the area. Once the chicks are part of the flock, the second run will be used for sick/injured birds, for broody hens with chicks or as a seperate living space if we want to have a dedicated breed pen. So far the wire is on the roof and one side. We figure another week or so and the chicks can move outside for good, meanwhile we're also continuing to work on the enclosed part of the back yard (where the junipers are) for all of them to roam around in during the day. We've got three chain link gates to repair before they can be safely in there.

Meanwhile the chicks wait patiently and use their sisters as big ol' floofy pillows...

We did take a break the other day and ran off to the park for the annual Carson Valley Days shinding. Got the kid a ride wristband and she happily rode carnival rides all afternoon and evening. I got a shot of this fun sign, which in Nevada brought to mind loading guns, not iffy carny rides:

Oh...

Triffid has gone to seed and has proved to be some kind of mountain dandelion on steroids.

I don't know whether to be relieved or not. Regardless, it's pretty and can stay.

It's A 50's Horrible Sci-Fi Come To Life!

So I've got some Spring mystery volunteer plants coming up in my front yard... That's right, Triffids. I've got a nice ol' crop of Triffids coming along. If they start to make that weird trilling sound and walking around I'm outta here.

Where IS That Pot Of Gold...?

Yesterday we had a sudden, unexpected thunderstorm, and had a nice double rainbow to go with it! The view out in the front yard was quite different from the back:

 You can just see the secondary rainbow to the right of the main one.

 ...and the end ended in my chimney!

And from the back yard:

...and once again, it ends on my house!

Meanwhile, the chicks have started doing that weird snakey-head-use-your-sisters-as-a-pillow thing...

 Chicken neck-braiding.

If you don't like doing that, why just pal up to your little sis and show her you love her by protecting her in any way you can.

Nest Boxes, Yay!

Hen happiness is cool new nest boxes! Thanks to husband doing some building, the cardboard boxes are out and real wooden boxes--deep enough to hold all those big, fluffy butts--are installed, compete with loads of fresh, sweet-smelling hay and snappy black landscape cloth privacy curtains to make those dark hidey-hole nests so near and dear to every hen's heart.

At first when we placed the nests, before I added the curtains, there was much chicken excitement.

Weedcat is so excited that he gets a bit confused and plonks down next to the nest boxes instead of inside them and starts burbling softly and excitedly to tempt his girls over...

But Weedcat finally gets it together and goes inside the nests...

Followed by several very large hens.  Knowing how they all love to cram in there together, we planned ahead and made them extra large and extra deep to accomodate this nonsense.

More hens climb in...

After a while it's like the old phone booth stuffing fad, only for chickens.

And of course the hens all have to stuff behind and under Weedcat.  It's some kind of chicken comfort thing. The hen right outside becomes convinced that secret egg-laying is taking place and starts her Egg Song at the top of her lungs.

Weeds kept going from one nest to another, calling girls in nonstop--they all had a grand time.

Then I added the curtains!  More chicken excitement...
Bear takes position on top to direct everyone while the hens start peeking in...

 

The roos come along to inspect them and place their stamp of approval...

  Meanwhile serious and sober hen inspection continues.

 

 And inside, the baby chicks have their own structure, built by the kid out of LEGO.

They really dig it and climb inside to pile up and sleep.