new shed doors

when my parents were here they helped us build this amazing penned-in area that included the shed in our backyard. we eventually want to get two nigerian dwarf goats for milk and we were also sick of having the nowhere to put the chickens (besides the entire yard) and having them poop all over the place. so up went cedar posts and welded wire fencing. we put the chicken coop within this area so they would have a place to sleep at night as well as a contained area to forage. like i mentioned before, we pour all our compost in here and their shuffling about in the straw helps to break all of that extra goodness down. next year we are going to have the most awesome dirt.

the shed was here when we first moved in. it was spray painted a horrible red so i took some leftover paint from our house (the people we bought it from graciously painted the whole house for us before we moved in) and painted it a nice creamy white. however, the doors had to be removed to meet FHA standards (they were chipping and contained lead-based paint). so even though our shed was painted nicely, it had no doors. white. trash.

jonathan built two new doors. the one on the left is a regular door to hide our tool and garden shed. the door on the right (the side that currently houses our tandem, tall bike, and cruiser, as well as supplies for the noble swine supper club) has a top and bottom to open up separately for livestock.

the chickens love it. otto especially loves it because now we actually keep the doggy door open and he has 24/7 access to a large yard and refreshing grass and shade.

all that needs to be done now is add some extra siding and finishing touches to the fence and paint the doors to match the shed and hardware (crossbeams will be an ultra black exterior paint and the paneling will be the creamy white used on the house and shed).

just waiting on those goats after that!

farm yard

my parents came for an extended weekend visit and, whoa, did work get done! they graciously worked their butts off and helped us redo (de-white trash) our backyard. weeds had taken over the lawn and--because we didn't have a proper run for our chickens--everything was covered in chicken poop. gross.

we both didn't like going back there. we had plans for it but were overwhelmed with what needed to be done, how much it would cost and how much time it would take that we would just stand there, stare, and dream aloud of what it could look like one day. my mama and papa made that a reality. they really are the greatest people who took time out of their busy lives to come be busy in our life. i only get to see them about twice a year so this was a particular treat. THANK YOU!!!

here are photos from the weekend (more to come soon) as well as an explanation of what we have in mind:

a goat pen was installed in the back right quarter of the yard. we plan, one day, to have two goats. goats can produce up to a quart of milk a day, which we will use for milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. they will live in the back right shed where we will build a feed/milking stand and install a barn door (opens on both top and bottom [jp is in the middle of building this right now]). the chickens' coop was moved into this goat area where they will all live harmoniously. we will be uninstalling our compost bin we made last year and simply throw all our goods into the pen where the chickens will eat and scratch and turn it all about and poop on it and make some really good compost. fresh straw. is put over this area every so often.

it is also our hope to build a more substantial chicken coop (not a chicken tractor like we originally created). we also want to add a rabbit hutch for breeding bunnies and getting lots of yummy meat.

in front of all of this, is our yard. this is where kubb and washers will take place. it also creates a comfy spot for otto to lounge, me to sunbathe, and, perhaps one day, little kiddies to run around.

the back left of our yard was always the veggie garden area. we have one bed and our plan is to build and plant one a year until we have five veggie and fruit beds. this whole area was mulched. we just need to add the edging so the mulch stops running away and littering the sidewalk. in the back left corner of this area is where we are building our beehive. this, of course, is for honey and for having healthier plants. a peach tree lives in the front part of this area. when the season is over we will give it a much-needed pruning. i think it's ugly but adds some much needed shade. as i said before, the large compost bin in this area will be removed.

the only part of the yard that didn't quite get the same makeover (except for a ton of round-up) is the front left part of the yard. this will be our fire pit and grill area. we are going to lay large pavers, fill in with lovely pea gravel and line with desert bushes. jp is even going to weld me this. (i even have two vintage butterfly frames that she talks about!).

the patio part of the backyard has been weeded and i swept. i found a gorgeous and inexpensive patio set on craigslist and i just need to reupholster the cushions in oilcloth. then we are waiting for our sunshade to come in the mail, hang that up, install lights on the fence and we're good to go!

come over for a BBQ sometime!

one of these days we're planning to have kids of our own

via denver's own, heirloom gardens

junebug gets broody

when the weather starts to get warm, hens will sit on top of their clutch of eggs to get them ready for hatching. this happens whether or not there is a rooster involved.

our hens certainly do not have a rooster around. but the weather is starting to get warm. recently i was out in the yard checking on the chickens. there were only three of them out and about so i was not surprised to see june sitting in the nest in the shed. when i went out two hours later she was still there. how odd, i thought, that she hadn't yet laid an egg. going out a handful of hours later and seeing her still there upon the nest i knew: junebug was getting broody.

at first jbp and i thought we would just leave her there and let her figure it out. hours passed. eleanor climbed in beside her to lay her own egg. jackie stood there and squawked at her for hogging up the whole nest for a very long time. i poked around her with the handle of a broom and she ruffled her feathers, pecked viciously at the handle, and let out what can only be described as a terrifying, primal, prehistoric screech.finally, and after some internet research that explained little junebug would indeed sit on that nest for a good two weeks, jbp decided to take action. coat on. gloves on. he went to remove junebug from her birthing nest--a scary feat since we saw the way she attacked the broom. she was not pleased. we put her in the run where she sat--exactly how she was sitting on the nest--for a good while. she continued to screech and squawk and voice her displeasure while the three other ladies stayed out of her way and inside the coop.

after having to remove her three other times over the next two days, we believe junebug has finally realized she is not fertile, there will be no chicks, and her time is better spent scratching the dirt, eating bugs, and leaving the eggs for us.

dog days of denver