Chicken coop

So what happened to spring?  Glorious it was, but gone it is.   Thankfully, I have something to show for it: a new chicken coop!  Our chickens and rabbits were housed in an old gazebo in the backyard, a once-lovely structure whose floor rotted out.   I tried several times to re-do it but finally gave up and decided that a new coop, built just for our tiny backyard, would give us the best result.  I wanted something that wouldn't take up too much space, would safely and comfortably house the chickens, and would look nice.  In the backyard of our last house I built an 8'x10' coop in the back of the enormous yard, and it didn't matter that the run was a bit derelict; it was mostly out of sight.
I struggled for a long time with the design.  I wanted a coop that wouldn't look out of place next to our 1920s Craftsman-type home, and I eventually sketched out my idea.
Tearing down and removing the old gazebo was a big job, and over the course of several weekends and evenings after work, I built my new backyard coop, re-using at least some of the old one. The hens are now settled in, and the rabbits are content underneath the coop.  I still have a larger hutch for finishing the rabbits.  A large feeder and watering can are inside, and the nesting box is accessible from the outside, making them close to maintenance-free.

Butchering chickens

We spent Saturday morning at a neighbor's house, helping them butcher a few chickens.  A beautiful fall day with cool temperatures and no rain or snow.   Our neighbors have an assortment of hens and they wanted to butcher a few of the older ones themselves, but they hadn't done it before.  My kids and I have killed and processed enough animals to feel comfortable showing them how to do it.
We killed the chickens quickly, first breaking their necks and then beheading them; it was only a few minutes before they were all hanging from the playset to bleed out.  We dipped the birds into a big pot of warm water and the feather plucking went pretty well, except for one bird with some tears on the skin.  Then into a cooler filled with ice water before eviscerating them and pulling out the guts.  I separated out the hearts, kidneys, and gizzards and later poached them in duck fat. 
When the kids were cold they went inside and had steaming mugs of the most delicious Spanish hot chocolate.  When we were finished we were treated to a wonderful brunch that included a Spanish omelette, dry-cured sausages, wheat beer, zinfandel, cheese and olives.  Quite a repast after just ninety minutes of work! 
We walked home full and content, carrying a chicken and a big bag of beets, happy to have helped out, glad that neighbors can turn into friends.