With
a few winter trips on the horizon, we've decided to consolidate all of
our chickens into the forest pasture. Our coop was built with young
broilers in mind, so it lacked a few essential accoutrements of laying
hen life --- namely, a sturdy perch and a couple of nest boxes.
Mark took an hour last
week to give the coop a makeover. An egg crate and an old freezer
basket make quick and sturdy nest boxes while costing next to nothing
to install. In his usual 
ingenious
fashion, Mark tacked the nest boxes to the wall in such a way that
we'll be able to reach in from outside the coop to collect the day's
eggs.
During warm weather our five gallon
bucket waterer turns
the chicken pasture into the sort of operation you check on once a week
or less. Since freezing water can be a problem in the dead of
winter, though, Mark plans to experiment with making a heated version
of the Avian Aqua Miser. Our goal is to be
able to leave the farm for a week in the winter with as few worries as
when we take a long summer vacation.
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