I built outdoor nesting boxes out of old garden wire, fabric, and tree bark. The outcome looks like hollowed out logs, a perfect hiding place for a nesting chicken.
Since our hens aren't yet free-ranging I suppliment their organic, GMO free grain rations with food from the garden. Chard, kale, squash, chickweed all provide essential nutrients for Omega 3 eggs. I sprinkle flax seeds, chia seeds, and rolled oats into this mixture. When it is just greens, I'll add olive oil and raw apple cider vinegar, both of which help the digestive tract. Bread crumbs are finely chopped, and dressed with olive oil and ground red pepper - the pepper helps keep the hens warm in this cold weather. It is 18 degrees right now, and the hens roost under heat lamps.
Tacoma now allows chickens within the city - up to 6, and up to 10 with written permission of bordering neighbors. We've transformed the old playhouse into a coop for 4, and I'm building a smaller coop for two more. The little chicks above are Marans, which lay a maroon chocolate colored egg. Our other breeds are Americana, Orphington, Rhode Island Red, and soon an Isbar. If all goes as planned we'll have eggs that are brown, buff, blue, green and maroon.
