Greetings! Due to recent events at school, we have not been able to provide consistent updates for the Circle of Life Gardens blog. Likewise, our time together has been heartily focused on building our coop and run, taking care of our new Silver Sebright Bantam chicks, and tending to our young vegetable and fruit garden plots. We appreciate your patience! Photos will be added soon.
Weeks 4, 5, 6, and now 7 for our flock of standard hens progressed quickly! They are now fully grown chickens ready for the outdoors! (They will start to lay eggs beginning in July 2012.)
The bantam hens are now 1 week old, and are steadily growing into their primary flight feathers.
Outside, we transferred tomatoes from the greenhouse into the ground. In our main plot, we have sprouting garlic, lettuce, lettuce, squash, and the raspberry bushes have begun to bifurcate. In addition, we have planted rows of carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, and swiss chard that are preparing to surface.
We are so thankful for the tremendous assistance of our small group of architect volunteers; taking on the rookie building of an 8' by 20' chicken coop and run involves around 25-30 hours of skilled work.
Again, newer photos will be added soon. In the meantime, please check out the May 16th, 2012 issue of the Olmsted County Journal. This project, including its teachers and students, were featured beginning in a front page article that continues on pages 8 and 9. Thank you!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Week 3 (4/26/12 - 5/3/12)
We figured that the chicks were ready for a larger home, because a few days prior, one of the Wyandottes perched on the edge of their initial brooder box with no assistance!
At 3 weeks of age, the chicks are no longer in need of their heat lamp.
And when picked up, most of the 3-week old chicks have begun to walk along our arms! (Some of them prefer to perch on our fingers, while others just prefer to balance in the open.)
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| What Am I? On Friday, April 27th, our chicks received a new home! |
At 3 weeks of age, the chicks are no longer in need of their heat lamp.
And when picked up, most of the 3-week old chicks have begun to walk along our arms! (Some of them prefer to perch on our fingers, while others just prefer to balance in the open.)
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| ... A 118-gallon feed tank! This tank will later be used as a cooling bath for freshly picked garden produce.
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| We are 3 weeks old! |
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| Investigating our new water feeder |
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| Thursday, May 3rd: we fed out of our humans' hands & tried out new perches to help our feet, legs, and toenails! |
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| Monday, April 30th: leveling more of the base of our chicken coop and run. |
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| Bonding time with an Australorp! The chicks calm down when held close. |
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| Lady Noir perching. Her feather growth is apparently OK, she just does not grow down feathers as well as the other chicks. |
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| 3-Week-Old Rhode Island Red wing feather development, top view...
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| On Tuesday, May 1st, we noticed that the Wyandottes began to show their silver lacing! |
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| Weighing a 3-week-old Rhode Island Red! |
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| 3-Week-Old Wyandotte s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g TALL! |
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Week 2 (4/19/12 - 4/26/12)
During their second week of life, our 9 little chicks continued to prosper and develop new and exciting features and behaviors!
This included rapid growth of their primary flight feathers (see right), and with that, new ventures into "flying!"
For example, each chick began to hop around their brooder box in combination with little bursts of wing flapping! After these mini-flights, certain chicks also began to explore perching (mainly while being held).
Coop Building Update: The base of our staked out coop and run area was dug out on 4/23.
We also inventoried our donated lumber (untreated cedar from an old deck), and gathered lumber and roof shingles from Kruse lumber.
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| We Are Two Weeks Old! |
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| Two Week Old Rhode Island Red |
This included rapid growth of their primary flight feathers (see right), and with that, new ventures into "flying!"
For example, each chick began to hop around their brooder box in combination with little bursts of wing flapping! After these mini-flights, certain chicks also began to explore perching (mainly while being held).
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| Two Weeks Old - can you see our combs beginning to develop? |
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| Two Week Old Australorp Profile |
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| Two Week Old Rhode Island Red Profile |
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| Two Week Old Wyandotte Profiles |
Coop Building Update: The base of our staked out coop and run area was dug out on 4/23. We also inventoried our donated lumber (untreated cedar from an old deck), and gathered lumber and roof shingles from Kruse lumber.
Lastly, in shifts throughout the week, we leveled the base (see above).
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| Sunning Seedlings
Garden Update:
On 4/26/12, we placed our trays of rapidly growing seedlings in the sun for a few hours.
They have nearly doubled in height in the past week! |
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| Yellow Pear Tomatoes |
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| Kale |
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| Onions |
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Week 1 (4/12/12 - 4/19/12)
Each of the chicks experienced their first major growth spurts in weight and feather development!
Beginning 4/17/12, we started to take weight measurements (in grams) of each chick on a daily basis. We first place a bowl on the digital scale, tare the scale, and then place the chick in the bowl. This takes patience, practice, and a lot of reassurance :) By now, almost every chick has more than tripled their weight!
Beginning 4/17/12, we added a vitamin supplement to the chicks' water. And towards the end of Week 1, we added a second food dish, because we noticed that the chicks were eating almost all of their starter feed in less than one school day!
Chickens grow their feathers in a series of narrow, symmetrical feather tracts known as pterylae. (The non-feather tracts are known as apteria – feathers do no actually cover a chicken's entire body surface.) There are 10 specific feather tracts: head, neck, shoulder, wings, breast, back, abdomen, rump, thigh, and legs. During Week 1, a few of our chickens began to develop their tail feathers, as well as their wing coverts and secondary flight feathers.
Behavior-wise, the chicks began to forage with their beak, as well as scratch at the shavings on the bottom on their brooder box. This scratching behavior is something that they will do as fully grown chickens outside (when foraging, as well as nesting).
Our chickens will be fully grown around 6 weeks of age. Until then, we have nearly 30 hours of coop and run building to complete! Week 1 included staking out the edges of the coop and run.
Garden Update: On 4/10/12, we planted a little over four trays of seedlings, including: broccoli, red chilis, kale, onion, brandywine tomatoes, and yellow pear tomatoes.
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| We Are One Week Old! |
Throughout their first week in our
classroom (4/12/12 - 4/19/12),
our 9 little standard chickens began to unfold their distinctive personalities!
Introducing:
Australorp: Aussie, Lady Noir, Little John
Rhode Island Red: Naomi, Providence, Yellow Legs
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Silver-Laced Wyandotte: Why, And, Dotte
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| One Week Old Trio L-R: Wyandotte, Australorp, Rhode Island Red |
Each of the chicks experienced their first major growth spurts in weight and feather development!
Beginning 4/17/12, we started to take weight measurements (in grams) of each chick on a daily basis. We first place a bowl on the digital scale, tare the scale, and then place the chick in the bowl. This takes patience, practice, and a lot of reassurance :) By now, almost every chick has more than tripled their weight!
Beginning 4/17/12, we added a vitamin supplement to the chicks' water. And towards the end of Week 1, we added a second food dish, because we noticed that the chicks were eating almost all of their starter feed in less than one school day!
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| One Week Old Rhode Island Red: Wing Development |
Chickens grow their feathers in a series of narrow, symmetrical feather tracts known as pterylae. (The non-feather tracts are known as apteria – feathers do no actually cover a chicken's entire body surface.) There are 10 specific feather tracts: head, neck, shoulder, wings, breast, back, abdomen, rump, thigh, and legs. During Week 1, a few of our chickens began to develop their tail feathers, as well as their wing coverts and secondary flight feathers.
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| One Week Old Rhode Island Red: Primary Feathers |
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| One Week Old Rhode Island Red: Tail Feathers |
Behavior-wise, the chicks began to forage with their beak, as well as scratch at the shavings on the bottom on their brooder box. This scratching behavior is something that they will do as fully grown chickens outside (when foraging, as well as nesting).
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| Wyandotte Sandwich! |
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| One Week Old Rhode Island Red: No More Chick Tooth! |
It is comforting to hear our chicks peeping away throughout the day; the 6th and 7th grade students are taking great care in gently handling the chicks after school in order to help strengthen their bond with their caretakers!
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| One Week Old Australorp |
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| One Week Old Rhode Island Red |
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| One Week Old Wyandotte |
Our chickens will be fully grown around 6 weeks of age. Until then, we have nearly 30 hours of coop and run building to complete! Week 1 included staking out the edges of the coop and run.
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Garden Update: On 4/10/12, we planted a little over four trays of seedlings, including: broccoli, red chilis, kale, onion, brandywine tomatoes, and yellow pear tomatoes.
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| Kale Seedlings - 2 Days Old |
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| Heirloom Tomato Seedlings |
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