Cleaned the brooder box today and brought the girls out onto the lawn to enjoy some sun and fresh air. A good time for photos although they are tricky to get in focus, they move so fast. The first three are now almost 5 weeks old and the two little ones are almost 2 weeks old. All have flower names, naturally. 
Oh, hello there, says Poppy the Easter Egger. She has such pretty markings already and the biggest feet.
Rosie the Rhode Island Red, sweet and curious. She's got these white 'feather dusters' left from her baby fluff.
This is Violet, the Blue Laced Wyandotte. She is a busy gal, foraging, dust bathing, flapping and speedily rushing around and sporting cute eye 'makeup'. 
Last photo you can see the difference three weeks makes in the size of these chicks! They grow so fast!
The two newest babies really complain when I remove one and leave the other behind, chirping loudly for each other. They are best buds. 
Daphne is the Blue Orpington, she is a creamy color with grey legs and whitish wings coming in. I was surprised at how pale she is since they are supposed to eventually be a medium slate with dark lacing and a dark slate neck. We'll see. She a little sweetie, very calm. Fluffy chick butt, that last photo. 
And this is Lily the Speckled Sussex. Very curious, loves to explore & forage, she found a dead bug in the lawn and was thrilled. She has such cute markings. She's eyeballing the camera in the last photo.
Two newest additions came home yesterday, the one on the left is a Speckled Sussex and the light one is a Blue Orpington. They are so sleepy from the trip home.
The 3 weeks olds, lots of pretty feathers coming in and look at those big feet!
Doggie TV remains popular, especially now with the newest additions. (enlarge to see doggie #2) We have the new ones separated for just a few days with the window between the boxes, just to get them settled in a bit, then we'll open it up so they can all intermingle.
A cabinet has been added to the back of the coop, it houses an automatic waterer, complete with a filter and an automatic feeder is being completed to be added next. We'll store all food and supplies in here too.
My white abutilon is attractive to the local hummers.
The shed's window box is filling in.
The cilantro (my husband's, I can't stand the smell or taste!) is so tall it's hanging over the raised beds, nice blooms but I'm not getting any closer for pictures! 
Did you know that the dislike of cilantro is a genetic thing according to research? http://reasoniamhere.com/2013/...
There is even a "I Hate Cilantro' Facebook page!
OK, back to the pretty smelling stuff:
Helen Hayes
Apricot gladiolus
A tall apricot lily
Rainbow Over Georgia
South Africa (detect a color theme going on here?!)
Frequent Comment with a few blooms of Russian sage on it.
A David Austin rose, William Shakespeare 2000
Point of View
Another Austin rose, Tradescant, with Caryopteris 'Worcester Gold' and Physocarpus 'Coppertina', looking really dark on this overcast day. (not the sharpest shot)
Aaron Brown (which happens to be my sons name)
Plumbago
Begonia boliviensis
Osteospermum '3D™ Purple'
A combo with a gold Weigela on the left, a russian sage, geranium 'Brookside', the white alstromeria and Hebe (Veronica franciscana 'Variegata') in the foreground with a blooming echeveria.
I took a quick shot of the Brookside geranium and caught the bee mid flight.
Update on the chicks, who are two weeks old now. The 'doggie TV' windows are still popular with my dogs.
The Easter Egger and Rhode Island Red
I named the Rhode Island Red 'Rosie'. They are all half fluff and half feathers.
And my granddaughter named the Blue Laced Red Wyandotte 'Violet'.
I will naturally have to follow that flower theme for the other names of course.
We pick up two more chicks next week, will put them in a second brooder box
next to the first one, separated by the windows, so they can see each other.
We'll put them all together once the new babies gain a little size, maybe after a week
Hopefully Kasey the Yorkie and Penny the tiny toy poodle will all get along with their new feathered family members!
Our first 3 chirping fluffy cuties have arrived and are settling into their brooder box in the family room. Brad made a platform for the box over the (ugly) rock fireplace hearth and cut out two 'viewing' windows and hot glued plexiglass to the openings. This way we can both see them from our recliners and the dogs, Penny & Kasey, can view them as well, hopefully they will get used to seeing them daily and get used to them.
Left to right:
Rhode Island Red, Easter Egger & Blue Laced Wyandotte
They are so cute, falling asleep on their feet and swaying until they tip over.
The coop is coming along, I have been painting the frames, vintage recycled windows and other trim pieces, while Brad has been doing a great job with the designing and getting the recycled redwood fence pieces fitting together nicely around the coop. The floor is cement pavers which will get several inches of construction sand, based on some reviews, many have been recommending that for easy cleanup.
The windows will have a chain to open them all the way upwards on warm days for cross ventilation. Where the new wood piece is showing in the center is where the nest box will be added, jutting outwards from the walls.
We found the corrugated plastic panels for the roof in the parking lot where I work, a business had closed and left them. They filter the sunlight but allow plenty of light through.
The two large side doors allow easy coop access for cleaning.
The coop side in the run has another access door, another window and on the far right is the hen access door that closes with a pulley located on the outside. The hen ramp still has to finished.
Gonna be some mighty spoiled chickens!
Lots of lizards in the yard lately, more than I have ever seen, blue bellies and alligator ones. They are constantly darting in front of me as I walk the pathways. Saw this one the other day on a metal chicken I have in the veggie bed.
Took a few shots this evening, 7:30, almost not enough light.
