I spent the last nine days on vacation. Well, a “staycation” filled with manual labor in severe heat and humidity. Yes, I’m getting too old for this crap, but there is a silver lining — I never need to build another chicken coop! We built this one to withstand anything New England weather can throw at us.
As I’ve mentioned a time or two, I’m a mother to 17 chickens (among other furred, feathered, or skinned kids). In my last update, I had six adult hens and 11 female chicks, who lived in a temporary nursery coop in my house. When they grew big enough to transition into another temporary coop inside the barn, we knew we only had about three weeks before they needed to be integrated into the adult flock.
As an overprotective mom, it’s nerve-wracking and emotional to release the apron strings (they may have stayed in the house two extra weeks because of this), but the babies needed to learn the ins and outs of chicken society and hierarchy on their own. It’s something their father and I can’t provide. They must learn these life lessons from older and bigger flock members.
Thankfully, the flock leader is Flo, an angelic white brahma with a visible glowing aura.
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Ever seen anything like her? We haven’t, nor do we know why she glows.
Who else would be queen? Flo’s been a born leader since she was two days old. She’s strict — no one messes with Flo — and loving and fair. No unnecessary bullying allowed, but a good, hard peck here and there to keep the younglings in line is part of life. You might remember Biff, her 2nd in command and the muscle for the flock, from this post.
Though the adults have a coop inside the barn, they only had a temporary pen set up in the yard. We did this on purpose until the babies could integrate into the flock, or the adults might’ve gotten overly territorial. This way, everyone could experience their new space together.
The day after the building supplies arrived, we used our vacation to build this monstrous 10’ x 8’ x 8’ coop, with a chicken door that allows them entry into the barn to egg in private. We also keep an extra 5 gallons of water in the barn to keep it cool from the summer heat.
Building a chicken coop and writing a novel both require us to balance high-level creativity with rigid, technical constraints. Both are parallel journeys of messy, structural creation. And I’m not the only one to draw that parallel…
Author William Faulkner famously connected the two:
“Writing a novel is like building a chicken coop in a high wind—you grab any board you find and nail it down fast.”
Before laying out the 4×4 wood foundation, we needed flat, level ground to support the walls and roof.
Some writers create an outline, others might only have a beginning, middle, and an end. Some might not even have that. Your writing process doesn’t matter, if you ensure the story has a solid foundation to support the plot.
We dug trenches and buried wire to protect our flock from predators.
A novel needs tight boundaries to keep out plot-destroying distractions, like irrelevant subplots and tangents that threaten to kill the story’s momentum.
Posts and beams support the roof and walls of the coop.
Major plot points support the story.
Rather than run posts 16 inches apart like you would for a house, we spaced them out to create an aviary style coop. To achieve this, we needed to run horizontal beams as well.
Rather than characters running straight from the start to the end, writers add setbacks, conflict, tension, character growth, and subplots.
Some coop builders install drop trays or “poop shelves” under roosting bars because chickens create an immense amount of waste. The dirt floor in our coop works the same way.
See the parallel to a “shitty first draft”?
Though I don’t buy into the argument that every first draft sucks, most writers embrace the reality that early drafts can be messy, disorganized, or in need of a rewrite. The editing process is the literary equivalent of raking the coop floor to keep a clean environment.
Once we built the frame and roof, we wrapped the coop with vinyl-coated, metal poultry mesh. Which is so much easier to work with than chicken wire. We still need to paint, tuck the roof under the edges, and add natural branches for extra roosts. They love their new digs!
Writers need to edit, polish the imagery, adjust the cadence, and fix grammatical errors until the prose feels smooth and deliberate.
*Please disregard the mess around the coop. It’s a work in progress.
The one-foot pitch of the roof is intentional for snow to slide off the side, rather than land in the walkway.
We all know how distinct odors can enhance a scene. What does buttery popcorn evoke in you? What about freshly baked apples? Or steamed lobster? Or a campfire?
Forensic science is always evolving to better aid in the apprehension of criminals. What if a killer leaves his victim with no fingertips, DNA, or teeth? One way to determine the age of a victim is by examining their eyes.
This little guy is very much alive. Look how convincing he is, though!
Texas indigo snakes—a subspecies of the eastern indigo snake—can grow up to 7 feet long and are found throughout Texas. They’re not venomous, nor constrictors. Instead, they rely on muscular jaws to overpower and swallow their meals head first. Texas indigo snakes even hunt venomous rattlesnakes (they’re immune to the venom).
documented 29 out of 50 different wild ducks played dead when exposed to captive red foxes. This immediate collapse gives the duck a fighting chance should the fox lower its guard. The ducks remained still while the fox carried them back to den to escape later.
Another species of bird that plays dead is the Japanese quail. These animals do so for similar reasons to ducks – to avoid predators, such as cats — and wait for an opportunity to escape. When sleeping, Japanese quail also appear to be dead and can sometimes cause alarm to their owners.
The lemon shark is an apex predator, yet they also play dead. If turned onto its back, the lemon shark will not only play possum, they’ll begin to exhibit labored breathing and the occasional tremor. This is especially interesting, considering the lemon shark lay on the ocean floor and allows other animals to pick the parasites off its body. They have the ability to remain completely still and pump water over their gills to breathe.
This little guy is alive, playing dead.
Native to Japan, the pygmy grasshopper displays a unique version of playing dead when threatened. Not only do they freeze but they spread out stiffened legs as far as possible in all directions. This death stance makes it nearly impossible for predatory frogs to attempt to swallow them. Thus, the frog moves on to easier prey.
This redback spider is alive but playing dead.
And the acting award goes to…
The Central American cichlid plays dead to lure unsuspecting prey. This aquatic predator’s intricate markings give the illusion of a decaying fish. Because scavengers are attracted to an easy meal, they move in. The cichlid springs to life and attacks.
Another animal that plays dead to catch prey is the pselaphinae beetle. Instead of waiting in ambush, these beetles employ tonic immobility so ants can carry them away. Once they get inside an ant’s nest, they spring to life and feed on the ant larvae (the majority of their diet).
Black widows are the most venomous spiders in North America, but they don’t always bite when threatened or provoked. Instead, black widows often play dead. When their lives are at risk, they curl into a ball while releasing silk to aid its movement.
Blue Jays play dead by slumping down, motionless. Sometimes, like their crow cousins, they’ll sprawl out with their wings spread, head flopped to the side. Some birdwatchers theorize this is a form of blue jay sunbathing. Or they’re playing a practical joke since they often surprise people by springing to life if disturbed. When threatened by predators such as cats and hawks, they will absolutely play dead.
Praying mantis are easily recognized by their long narrow bodies, a small head with large eyes, and oversized front legs held upright. To avoid being eaten by the female after mating, the male will play dead. They will only move again once the female has lost interest and left.
Not to worry. She’s alive, just not in the mood.
Thank you for standing in for the human, sweet puppy.
Becca Puglisi