麥寶娘親 一直很想養雞. 隔壁鄰居說著說著都養了一年多了.
Miloh’s mom wanted to have backyard chickens ever since they moved in this house.
Next door neighbor said they want chickens too..and they did!
they have 1 rooster and 11 hens now.
他們現在有12隻雞..一隻公雞 11隻母雞.
有 看到這隻公雞 屁股被啄嗎? 🙂
ok.. this poor rooster got bully from all other ladies..
幾個月前..附近鄰居把他們的 舊雞屋 給了我們.
Got this old but still looking good chicken coop from another street neighbor.
It had been sitting there for a long time.. Miloh’s Brother came home for Spring break in early March. and he wanted to start assembly this coop..but couple raining days.. so we wait.
我們想找時間組裝..但是..沒弄. 麥寶哥哥春假回來要幫忙 但是下了幾天雨..我就請他別弄了. 麥寶姐姐兩周後回家放春假..她就開始試著組裝..
Miloh sister came home for Spring break 2 weeks later and she said she will try to put the coop together. She did.
一天內 把屋頂裝上了!
She did the roof first day.
隔天她和好朋友去吃飯 然後帶回來朋友幫她 裝牆..
Then her friend came over to help her put the wall on the next day.
也裝上了! Done with the wall too.
在等著隔壁鄰居來看看還需要注意什麼 才能把屋頂擺上..麥寶娘親 把四周圍清乾淨.搬了椅子來.
While waiting our next door neighbor, the expert team, come over to check before we put the top on.. Miloh’s mom clean up the area..and put 2 chairs to rest and watch the coop.
鄰居來看了 說要把地再打平..然後下面要鋪鐵網 .這樣雞不會跑出去..別的動物也不會進得去吃雞
ok. expert team came over and said we need to put chicken wire all around the bottom of coop so the chickens won’t get out..so do Predators won’t get in .
鄰居去把他們的 燈 小木屑 都搬過來了 🙂
Immediately, neighbor moved and gave us their baby chick stuffs they don’t need now.
The Pine Shaving for bedding and heat lamp to keep baby chicks warm.
還有喝水的. Also the water feeder too! so efficient.
鄰居小女孩 (我的農場 最佳幫手) 給了好多雞蛋..看到這些蛋 動力全來了!
Wow..Wow.Wow.. we got so many eggs from their coop too! that’s not just super delicious..that’s inspirational and motivation for us to move on.
開始鋪鐵網.. Next Day..we started to put the chicken wire on the bottom of coop.
然後四周釘好
Staple the wire to secure in .
鋪好了…把孵蛋盒 裝上
pour more dirt on top of wire.. then we nail in the egg box from outside of coop.
把蓋子也訂好.
Then nail the cover of egg box.
這個設計 可以方便取蛋 ….
This fancy design will make us much easier to get the eggs later on from outside of coop.
看看 還有4個窗戶呢!
There are couple windows too!
都完成後..當天晚上 我們等其他4家鄰居的先生們都回來後 ..把屋頂擺上..喔..比我們想像的還重很多啊!
We were calling all surrounding neighbors’ ” Muscle ” dads over here to put the roof on together that night with flashlights! The roof was heavier than we expected..but we did it! YES!
隔天早上 把木屑鋪好了 小雞就先住在 孵蛋盒
The best thing to use for chick bedding is pine shavings. We set the bedding inside the egg boxes to keep them warm for now.
燈架上! 搬來小木盒..讓小雞可以跳上去.
Put the Heat Lamp on to test it..yes. it works!
put one more box as a step for small baby chicks jumping in easier.
All Ready! Now we only need chicks. Let’s go~~
萬事俱備 只欠…小雞!! 我的小幫手 隔壁小女孩 跟著我們去選雞
Of course, we need our helper, neighbor’s girl to help us pick the chicks.
趁麥寶姐姐 放春假最後一天在家裡..我們出發了
No breed that lay blue or green eggs that day we went there, but there are 2 breeds of chicken they will lay brown eggs.
當天 沒有 可以下 藍 綠色蛋的雞..有快一個月的小雞..會下 咖啡色的蛋.
We picked 6 Buff Orpington and 2 Silkies to go home.
烏骨雞 不太能確定是 公的 母的 所以 養兩隻.
We have bedding, heat lamp, water feeder.. so we only need food feeder and baby food.
在店裡 把小雞食物和餵飼料的 一起買齊
If you are looking for a big fluffy chicken that lays well, has a sweet disposition and tolerates small children, this may be your choice! (1)
Baby chicks are unable to maintain body temperature for the first critical days, and you will notice they will all huddle together for warmth.
小雞 擠在一起取暖
The Buff Orpington breed is a great choice for a backyard chicken – beautiful with a nice personality and winter hardiness.
The Silkie is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy look. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four.
烏骨雞 有5個腳趾..大部分的雞 都只有四個!
Though they may not be the most intelligent of the chicken breeds, silkies make up for it by being the most gentle and sweet. They are extremely laid-back and easy-going, so they make great pets, even for those who are not used to chickens. (2)
Silkie chickens are exactly as they look – funny, cuddly and very kind. （3）
鄰居建議 平常沒空跑遠 就到附近的 Mary Tack and Feed 買雞的飼料..
Neighbor also suggest the near by store “Mary’s Tack & Feed” for chicken food and accessory.
We went to check it out.. there are so many supplies for coop there.
我們去看看..真的有 很多雞的東西..價格也公道 以為會很貴呢.. 就辦了 會員卡..結果當天沒買雞的東西 ..確買了麥寶的丟球棍 狗食:)
Ok.. Let’s see how Miloh react to the newly added family pets – baby chicks.
你們覺得 麥寶對這些小雞 有什麼反應呢?
Neighbor’s dogs were all watching from their fence.. so cute. From left to right, Rose puppy, Jedi and Ozi.
隔壁鄰居的狗兒們 也都來 只能遠遠觀望著..
All the dogs do the same.. they want to chase away the chicks!
Miloh keep walking around the coop and scratch the wall to scare the chicks! Miloh.. Please….
雞飛狗跳…. 可以想像嗎? 麥寶 一直在嚇小雞!
Miloh.. I still can see you there even you hide over there..
麥寶..你可以離開嗎? 不 要以為我們沒看到你躲在那!
為了把麥寶隔離.. 我們隔天 天黑前 把竹籬笆圍起來.. 剛剛才鋸好的竹子 怎麼不見了?..喔..
We rush to build a temporary bamboo fence next day after we put in the chicks…
經過幾次 麥寶的鑽洞..跳..我們終於把竹籬笆又加了好幾道防備..
一周後..有baby 小雞..我們去看看有沒有下藍 綠色蛋的雞..沒有..不 過有 下白蛋的黑雞.. 買了兩隻回來
We went back to the store and get 2 more black baby chicks home. They will lay white eggs 6 months later.
Hey, Baby chicks.. do you know you are not supposed to sit inside your food .. LOL~
Ancona Baby chicks
買回來後..隔壁小女孩 說..上周養的小雞長大很多..這兩隻還太小..我們必須分開養. 就把一格 孵蛋盒用鐵網訂起來 養這兩隻黑雞.
Our expert helper, she told us that new baby chicks’ size is much smaller than the chicks we got one week before. so we need to separate them from being bully. We put them in one of the egg box and secure them inside wire wall.
偶爾 抱出來 ..看看 是不是 HEN 可愛呢!
Is she cute ?
一周後 我收了第一桶雞糞 拿去菜園當肥料
Got my first bucket chicken pooh for my veggie garden fertilizer one week later.
麥寶 爸爸 周末 忙到天黑前 也把給雞的盪鞦韆 做好了.掛上
Miloh’s Dad made a chicken swing from bamboo.
現在有10隻小雞..買了10個顏色的腳環 來.
Bought 10 different color feet ring to identify those chicks.
麥寶家取了6個名字
Miloh’s family name 6 chicks : Jojo, Erwin,Momo, Mochi, Goldie and Phoenix
ok.. Erwin ! this is not a girl name.. Miloh’s brother name one of his chick, Erwin.
90% of those baby chicks will turn into hen, so if we do get one rooster.. we all know who to blame.
隔壁和後院新搬進來的鄰居小女孩們 取了4個名
My helper girl and new neighbor’s girls name other 4 chicks: Hershy, Coco, Tater Tot and Tangerine!
小雞 妳是在問我..”我叫什麼名字 ?”
So, what’s my name ? the chick looks like asking this .. ha ha
正在結尾這個很長的 部落格 時..我的小幫手來敲門 叫我去看她家的一隻母雞 在幫忙別的母雞 孵藍/綠色蛋! 今天第4天.. 要敷21天. 若孵出來..麥寶家就會有 藍/綠色蛋的雞了.. 太興奮了!
她肚子好燙好燙..我們去摸時.她全身羽毛都涨 鼓起來.. 有點生氣….
My helper, she called me this morning while I was wrapping up this blog. She wanted to show me one of her hens is broody other hen’s green eggs. Today is the 4th day, 17 more days to go.. We may have baby Ameraucanas chick! so excited to wait.
如果你要養雞..你有個 鄰居小女孩 ..她是個養雞專家.又是好幫手. 再加上後院新鄰居的兩姐妹常來看雞.. 你會省很多事..又學很多經驗.
如果沒有人教你..那就需要有好的網路文章 或 有趣的 部落格 像 麥寶的日子 …來幫你 🙂
To start a chicken coop, you need good neighbors’ help! If not , you may need to find some very useful and informative article to read and learn, or you can google some really fun and good blog, such as Miloh’s Blog ? 🙂
Looking forward to see how those chicks grow ? and how we take care of them ? To be continued…
你們期待看到小雞成長過程嗎? 待續…..
Writing this blog to special thanks our neighbors, especially the next door neighbor’s girl, my lovely helper !
FYI,
Carter’s Hay & Grain (Baby chicks, food and supply)
http://www.cartershayandgrain.com/
Address: 1985 Olivenhain Rd, Encinitas, CA 92024
Mary’s Tack and Feed (chicken food and supply)
https://marystack.com/
Address: 3675 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
Phone: (858) 755-2015
Reference:
(1) Buff Orpington All You Need To Know: Temperament and Egg Laying
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/buff-orpington/
(2) Silkie: A Comprehensive Guide on the Furry Chicken
https://pethelpful.com/farm-pets/Silkie_Chickens
（3）Silkie chickens : the cuddly teddy bears of the poultry world.
https://www.raising-happy-chickens.com/silkie-chickens.html
Miloh's Diary 麥寶的日子 