SigMT

And then there are the chicken coops. An original coop south of the driveway shelters three Ameracaunas that lay a colorful array of pastel-shelled eggs. "We had the lile coop and we had family who liked eggs," Giskaas explains. "It went a lile viral on us and we expanded." A newer, larger coop to the north houses more than two dozen hens—Blue Ameracauna, Black Cooper Maran, Rhode Island Red, and Lavender Orpington, as well as Gold Lace, Black Lace, and Columbian Wyandoe. An "accidental rooster," Giskaas says, helps maintain order. "Gunner protects the rest of the flock," especially the Ameracaunas, which are docile birds that can be bullied. In the winter, "they can spar a bit" when cooped up, he notes. ough Gunner may be an accident, the rest of the chicken operation is intentional and inspired by best practices. e new coop offers infrared heat for wintertime warmth, a gravity-fed water source, and electricity to power lights and the automatic doors that let the chickens in and out. A sub-irrigation system will help grain grow in the outdoor pen, while wire mesh atop the soil will keep the hens from digging excessively. Giskaas also installed a 1500-gallon cistern below the coop to grow lentil sprouts. "is way, they get green food in winter," he says. "e chickens can come outside on hot days to a feeder, where it's shaded." In bier cold, Giskaas locks SiG MT 37 SiG MT 39 Follow the Giskaas chicken operation on Facebook at One Egg, Two Egg, Brown Egg, Blue Egg. A sub-irrigation system will allow grain to grow outside the coop so that birds can feed in a natural environment.

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