I spent a recent Sunday over at Mom and Mark's helping them work on the coop.
Five chicks hatched successfully (out of 7 total eggs).
This rooster cracks me up! Look at that beard!
Mom was hoping this was a hen but after more research, she thinks she is a he. So she has 3 hens and 2 roosters. Her plan is to try to find 1 more hen locally and try to find a new home for 1 or both roosters.
I love this hen. It's hard to see her but she's a beautiful mix of brown and white feathers.
Looks like I'm working hard, doesn't it? I swear I did more then to "hold up" the already upright walls. 
Mom and Mark designed the coop so it would be predator proof and really sturdy.
"What did you say?", Mia asked. These chickens are really Mia's. She spent endless hours watching them through the shower door where they spent their first couple months. Mom says that she herds them around the yard and is good about going to get a stray chicken that's wandered too far. She's a Jack Russell/Poodle mix but you'd swear she had herding dog genes.
Mom putting screws in to support the paneling that would make up the house part of the coop.
We tried sealing the paneling by spraying it with spray paint but the board was so absorbent that you couldn't see the color of the paint.
After I wrapped the door with chicken wire, Mom and Mark put it up with sturdy hinges.
... and put braces in the corners to keep it square.
Power tools... arg, arg, arg (trying to channel Tim Taylor from Home Improvement).
"Where are my chickens?"
"Have you seen them?"
We got a lot accomplished in one day. They've done a lot more work since then so I'll have to post new pictures the next time I have a chance to go over. The chickens will be nice and safe with this space to call home. They're going to have a nice nesting box and roosting area. Mom will let them out to forage and roam around when she's out in her garden. Shouldn't be long until they start laying!
