My Chicken Coop Project
The big chicken coop project at my Bedford, New York farm is complete.
Yesterday, I shared photos of the work that was done to replace the timeworn fence around my four chicken coops. During the same time, my own outdoor grounds crew worked very hard to make other needed repairs and adjustments - they surrounded the pen with edging stone, leveled the ground and raked the yards, put down fresh gravel, changed any uneven stone steps, installed new platforms for feed bins, and laid down new sod. I am so happy with how it looks - I think the chickens, geese and Guinea fowl like it too.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here is our happy wild turkey hen who wandered into the enclosure a few weeks ago and seems to enjoy life with the rest of the flock. I hope you saw all the turkey photos on my Instagram page @marthastewart48.
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- As each section of the fence is completed, the crew places edging stones along the fence line.
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- I have edging stone around my vegetable garden, my flower garden and in other areas of the farm. It is a great way to give the area a clean and finished appearance, but also to help deter small creatures from digging.
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- Here is another side all done between the row of hawthorn trees and the back side of the chicken coops.
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- On the front side, Domi is secures the last edging stone near the first coop and the entrance. Notice, Domi uses a piece of wood in between the stone and the sledge hammer so the pounding does not mar the stone piece itself.
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- Dawa oversees the care of all the chickens, peacocks, geese, and pigeons. Here he is as he cleans the back area behind one of the coops. All the old hay is removed and the ground is leveled.
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- The gravel is delivered from a nearby pile to the chicken coops in our Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor – a vehicle that gets used at the farm for a myriad of tasks – pulling or pushing agricultural machinery or trailers, for plowing, tilling, transporting and so much more.
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- Phurba drops small piles of gravel all around the pen, so it can be spread evenly across each section of yard. Gravel is easy to keep clean, drains well, and looks very pretty.
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- Using a hard rake, Phurba spreads the gravel on both sides of the chicken coops. The gravel is a natural colored stone. The entire coop section will be covered in just about an inch of gravel.
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- Here is the front side all complete and level.
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- Here is my pair of Pomeranians – always en guarde! They are very alert and curious creatures.
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- The back side looks great. New perches made from felled trees here at the farm are also constructed and placed in areas where the chickens like to roost.
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- Any wobbly steps are replaced with new, wider natural stone pieces. This one is perfect and looks so natural.
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- Inside another coop, two Guinea fowl perch on the bar outside the nesting boxes listening and watching all the goings-on.
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- Unused pieces of pool tile are used to raise the feed bins off the ground, so they don’t rust. I always like to reuse and repurpose whenever possible.
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- Chhiring adjusts the gravel, so the slabs sit level.
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- Here are two metal bins on the slab – these bins will last a long time, now that they are raised off the ground.
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- Here are two of my Chinese geese from Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, Maine. These geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. They always walk together. My chickens are very well-fed. They get fruit and vegetables from the gardens and scraps from my kitchen. They love to peck at the pumpkin smashed on the ground revealing all the delicious flesh.
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- This is one f the geese hutches, where they like to sleep and lay their eggs. It was moved to another spot in the pen. The chickens seem to like it also.
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- This buff-brown goose is a Toulouse. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. They have a rounded breast, and often exhibit a wide keel. The abdomen is double-lobed and often brushes the ground, particularly in females during the early spring.
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- Here they all are – curious about the pile of sod. One of the Chinese geese stood on top of the pile to get a better view of all the activity.
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- Here, Chhiring starts putting down the sod. Sod or turf is grass and part of the soil beneath it held together by its roots. This supply is cut very straight. It makes lining up the strips of sod very easy and quick.
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- The Sebastopol goose is also referred to as a Danubian goose. The name ‘Danubian’ was first used for the breed in 1863 Ireland. Sebastopols are considered medium-sized birds. They are also very affectionate and kind-hearted with others in their group, or gaggle.
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- This is one of my four coops. These coops are cleaned thoroughly every week – It’s important that all these birds always have access to clean, dry bedding and good, fresh food.
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- The chicken yard looks terrific. Thanks to Garon Fence Co. and my crew for doing such a great job – the chickens, geese and Guinea fowl are so happy and healthy.
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