ChickGhetto???

I've not posted in a few months basically because I've been lazy and the paperwork and decisions and meetings and appointments for retiring from teaching have been numerous and at times, tiring.


In any case, here's the situation:

Buck, the man who I buy eggs from is going out of business.  We've been enjoying his fresh eggs for years, along with his veggies.  But since he would now have to charge $4 a dozen due to the rising expenses of feed, he simply cannot bring himself to sell eggs at that price.  I told him that's what is charged at local farmers' markets but that didn't sway him.  He's old school and I think he want to play with his toys meaning his tractors and jeep basically anything that has wheels, engine and moves.

So, I notice he has a small chicken coop for sale.  Hmmm, I'm retiring.  I like to putter around.  I like to eat eggs.  I like a challenge.  BUY THE COOP!  And I did.  So now I'm in the process of building a "run" for the chickens to hang out in.  Cutting wood and getting fence attached and it's important the coop and fenced in area to be mobile.  I want to be able to move the coop around so I added heavy duty wheels to one end and the fenced in part will be free standing.  Hopefully all will be done by the end of the weekend and I can get the chickens early next week.  Pics to come!

My neighbor, 2 houses away just put in a chicken coop.  Her coop cost about $800 plus about another $300 for the fencing and walls and roof (her husband wondered aloud how long is it going to cost him $200 an egg, I reassured him it would be down to $20 an egg in no time...) and mine is the used $150 total cost variety.  Thus, the name Chickghetto, as suggested by my sarcastic/smart assed daughter #1. 

The neighbor is a yoga teacher who is about 20 years younger than I and I am taking grief from my wife that I am just taking this opportunity as an excuse to hang out with a younger woman.  This was fueled by my neighbor spending some time in our pool(with her son) on a hot, lazy Memorial Day afternoon.  We sat in floaties in the deep end and talked about, well, chickens.  Hardly something I would call flirting.  But that hasn't stopped my wife or kids or family from taking every opportunity to jab at my new found affection: yoga...er, raising chickens. 

My wife regales family, friends and workers with stories of my newest hobby(ies). My brother send over an empty chicken carton with the name of the egg company covered and my name imprinted on the top.  I get emails now with comments like, "...eggactly what I was thinking...".  Or don't you feel all "coop-up"? I deserve all such treatment for it the tables were turned, I would be even more abusive.  I don't often act my age...

Off I go to construct the "run" and will post pics later.  Then off to Agway to get feed and nesting material.  Fun?  I just need to cut the wood eggactly as possible...