Friday, April 25, 2008

The Grrlz Hen House

For those asking to see the Grrlz Hen House, this post is for you. If you haven't met the Grrlz yet, you may link over.

This is the view of the moon roof, so The Grrls get lots of light even with all our Oregon weather. The house has a roost for sleeping, a red warming lamp for sub freezing temps, and a thick bed of straw. They lay their eggs in a shared nest.

They have a small collection of hen art on the sides of their house. You know how hard it is to find images of hens without roosters? We can't have a rooster within city limits, but we can keep up to four hens. Amazingly, many adult friends ask how the Grrlz produce eggs without a rooster. Or suggest hens don't lay as well without a rooster.
Excuse me?!! Grrlz do NOT need a man around to get their job done! A rooster does nothing but make noise and hump hens. The Grrlz lead a perfectly peaceful, productive, and appropriately adventurous life without a rooster underfoot. (FYI, rooster fertilize eggs, but we don't need to eat fertilized eggs. I think the kids would go on egg strike if there was any possibility of hatching into PEEPS. Thanks to Tonia for the term.)

View of the chicken run, feeders and into the roost- no hens in sight because as soon as one opens the big door, they rush into the yard for bug chasing time! I designed this structure so it could be moved to a different location of the yard. The blue tarp can be used to batten down the hatches when it's stormy, or 1/2 uncover the run for lots of sun. We let the Grrlz out for awhile in the afternoons. They love their yard time, indeedy doo.

What are these?? Yes, hen napkins. As much as I adore the Grrlz, I don't want my house taken over by hen iconography. No. REally. However, shopping at the fabric store, I could not resist buying this fabric. It depicted our two hens so perfectly! We needed new spring napkins. It's cute how much the kids love something new and handmade like this.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

soooo....I guess I can't palm off to you some of the hen schtuff that my mother has already foisted upon me!? Dang! I was going to try at Easter to set up prizes for the kidlets to win some Hen figurines, but was a bit scattered and forgot. I love your set up for your Girlz. -tonia

Aly- Bliss Monkey Studio said...

Oh no!!!!! Not hen stuff! We have to be really selective about "collecting" or we'll be overrun with chicken themed items.... scary..... (shiver)
Aly

Tiffany said...

Oooo... casa de la grrrrlz.

I love it. I wonder if they'd let me spend the night sometime...?

Aly- Bliss Monkey Studio said...

Slumber partay!!!!!!! Eggs for breakfast for the humans, nice cracked corn for the grrlz. Actually the hens LOVE cheese of all things! They do NOT love banana. They will taste anything I offer them, right out of my hand, but when I fed Star Banana one day, she tried to spit it out, looked at me like I am crazy, and wiped her beak repeatedly on the grass. Poor girl. I was very sorry for offering her something so terrible tasting, but it was also a little funny.