The Beginning of the Chicken's Fancy Fence

 Since the chickens have been such trouble, the chicken fence bumped up in priority above finishing the screened in porch. The porch will be better to complete in the heat anyway since it's covered and has a fan. JD and the boys started early yesterday.

Lunch break

 They started by constructing the main beam.

 This is our current fence which isn't doing anything to keep the chickens in since it's broken in several places and it isn't keeping the guineas out since they fly over effortlessly.
 

  
The chickens are everywhere. This is what came running when we fed Hans a treat of grain yesterday. 

We separate Hans and Leia at grain time since she needs a cup and he only gets a taste. There are always chickens in her stall also ready to share her portion. There is one that sleeps in the hay feeder and several that lay eggs in enough places that we have a daily egg hunt.

 The main beam was super heavy; I think there are two more to go.
 

  
JD balanced the beam with the tractor bucket to install it.
 

  
Today we took a building break to head to Amish country for supplies. The kids and I hit the flee market while JD talked to the garage builders. I let the kids enjoy the puppies, but was wise enough to not come home with one.

  
What we did come home with, however, was the silkie chicks I planned to get -

10 for us and 10 for Wendy

 AND a pigeon for Ben. In Ethiopia, the kids have tame pigeons that fly around during the day and come back to their cages at night. Ben has always liked birds and hopes to be able to tame this one to that point. Poor little guy is pretty nervous now, I hope it improves.

I planned on the new silkies joining the ones I hatched out only a week ago and the pigeon joining the "teenager" chickens that have one whole side of the chicken coop. The problem was the new ones are so tiny that the week olds were trampling them and the "teenagers" were picking on the pigeon. So, I have everyone separated to the point that I even have the teenagers living in the food entry part of the coop and had to run out for a new watering can.

The teenagers

 Through all the change, James' silkie just sits on her egg. It isn't even her egg, it's an Americana's, but she doesn't know that. 

 AND in case you were afraid that I was lounging around while the boys worked hard, I pressure washed the front the house and weeded the garden while they worked. The weather was perfect for a day spent outside!