Backyard chickens in BOISE!

We LOVE our backyard chickens! 

I had wanted chickens for YEARS but was worried about city codes. I live in a small subdivision with close neighbors and figured we just couldn't have them in the city. I WAS WRONG! You may need to look up individual code in your town or county but Boise City Code says that we can have 6, yes SIX chickens! That is plenty for a medium sized family to benefit from.

This is a link to the new updated city code:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/04/18/2079570/love-bees-chickens-and-ducks-youre.html

I had been asking my husband to build me a coop for the last 6 months with ZERO success. He is a construction guy that can build anything and make it look beautiful. However, its like the mechanics wife that drives the clunker.... when he gets home he is exhausted and the little things don't get done. So I started it with the help of my 3 year old daughter! We scavenged the scrap wood that has accumulated on the side of the house and begun construction! I honestly thought that it would turn out better :( My hubby calls it the "leaning box".... oh well! The chickens love it! I will also be painting the coop this spring when I paint our fence.

 

Since its colder out I installed a red heat lamp for egg production

The girls who where shy at 1st great me at the gate when ever I am near the coop. They are very quiet and don't bother anyone. 

I have been getting about 5 eggs a week out of the one hen that is of laying age. 

Fresh Eggs are Yummy!

Farm fresh eggs have seven times more beta carotene, twice as many omega 3′s, three times more Vitamin E, a 1/3 less cholesterol, AND 1/4 less saturated fat than store bought eggs! I almost forgot to mention that the flavor is so much better then store bought eggs!

Bet you can guess what egg is from the hen house. The man who slacked on the coop building gets great omelets now! 

Original and Crispy my Leghorns 

Fluffy my Silkie

Lucy and Ethel my Silver Laced Wyandottes 

We are getting one more to complete our Brood! 

The girls found the garden :) This spring I will be putting up a gate so they cant get in. I don't always let them out of the run but when I do they love to investigate! 

My husband was tired of the girls roaming the back yard so he actually constructed a run gate out of scrap from a few of his jobs. I designed it and he built it just like my drawing. He is wonderful and it turned out amazing. 

Now when I stain the fence in the spring I will stain the coop and this beautiful run fence/gate that he made.