Chick update!

So the chicks are now 5 weeks 4 days old and will turn 6 weeks old on Monday. They are getting BIG. I however have been slacking on pictures and really don't have many from 2 or 3 weeks to now.

I do have a couple though.

Last week on Black Friday we bought and set up their coop, a kit from TSC, the last one, which is way smaller and less sturdy than it looked in pictures lol but it is adorable, I'll post pictures. I've been bringing them in every night though still, back to the garage. They have not been out every day either but I try to get them out every day. It's just the other day it was raining then yesterday I was gone, one or two days I just didn't feel like it, but for the.most part they have been out a lot and they go out usually from noon or 1, sometimes 2, until around 4:30 when it gets dark. Today was earlier at around 11 or 11:30 I think so extra time.

They LOVE it out there. They scratch and run around like crazy. They really don't go in the coop part but they know it's there because sometimes I put them straight in it but they fly down. They also fly straight up to the outside roosts or halfway up the ramp some of them. I think the ramp might be too steep.

The past few times they've been out they all pile in one area, my dad thought they were cold the one day, turns out they are dust bathing LOL

They look ridiculous, they all pile on top of each other.

I have pictures of it and video which os the reason for the post. Since these they are up and foraging again but they were like this for quite a while. Personally I think theu are sunbathing as much as dust bathing.

I sometimes sprinkle their food on the ground so there's still a lot out there so they do eat that but they also eat whatever else is out there. I put a separate waterer out there too so I don't have to carry theirs back and forth every day.

They seem to LOVE it out there though. More room, sun and dust to bathe in, good stuff to eat. They have fun.

They are also extremely cute right now because they are big and very feathered plus they scratch, dust bathe, fly, try to roost, etc. so they look and act just like adult chickens but they're still small compared to big chickens.



























Tried to get a picture of the fatty foraging but then... Attack of the chicken! LOL And I think these are actually good pictures minus the wire. Maybe I could figure out how to edit the wire out. It's on my phone though.









She finally joined them.











And I just ate lunch was about to go watch a movie until it's time to bring them inside when I realized... WHY? They are the best entertainment, chickens T.V., and I bought them, I should spend more time with them plus movies are all I've been doing all week except yesterday when we went out to eat and it's gorgeous so I should go sit with them so now I'm going to go outside and watch them hahah movies should be at night anyway.

It's only 12:53 PM now though so we'll see if I actually sit there 3 1/2 hours straight until 4:30 but I am going to sit with them a while. They are so entertaining.

I can't wait until we get the dog kennel set up around it so they can stay outside overnight and also have even more room. I think when we get it set up I will remove the run so they can have more room rather than interrupted space with a run in a run but I might keep it and lock them in at night. We'll see. The run under the coop doesn't come off, well it could but I like the coop off the ground.

Sometimes they bathe in this corner too.

That's a beautiful coop! Your girls look VERY happy there too! Its amazing how fast those little fuzzy butts do grow, right? Enjoy them, and thanks for sharing!

b.hromada said:

That's a beautiful coop!       Your girls look  VERY happy there too!       Its amazing how fast those little fuzzy butts do grow, right?   Enjoy them, and thanks for sharing!

Click to expand...

Thank you!! Here's some better pictures of it. Sorry about all the cardboard, that's how I catch them and bring them in and out lol

It came with a cute flower box too but we didn't put it on because it was a little more effort and it's about winter anyway.















They definitely are extremely happy out there! They HATE being caught to be brought back in LOL they're better about being caught to go out but still don't like it much. Which is why I can't wait until they can stay outside permanently.

But yes, it really is amazing how fast they grow and feather! Especially when they are in the garage and with the heating pad method! But even when they were inside they grew so quickly.

And thank you, I definitely will and no problem!

Cleaned out the chickens brooder while they were outside yesterday amd while I did replaced the heating pad since everything had to come out to clean anyway. I let them out later than usual and didn't start cleaning till later too so it was getting dark so I just put the brooder back together (took everything apart to clean), put new shavings in, and brought them in before putting the water and food back, since it was already really dark. ANYWAY. I came up with the idea for a roost. We have a 2x4 I cut to 5 feet when I was first making the brooder as I wanted to frame it so I just used that, cutting a foot off so it would fit, but no brackets I don't think so I decided to put it on bricks and have two bricks on each side to hold it in. Also put the extra foot on one end going the other way but just sitting on top instead of the in the brick thing. Put it maybe 4 bricks high then two on the sides to hold it in with a stepping stone brick. They all fly up to the roosts outside and halfway up the ramp, both wayyy higher, so I figured it would be fine and was hoping they would be roosting in the morning. Well I woke them up and out they ran from under the wood. What am I doing wrong? I did just turn the light off rather than making sure they were on it BUT that's usually fine because lately they get exhausted going outside so just eat, drink, and sleep when they come back in so my new system to not check them again and wake them up is I just turn the lights off, no sunset, and if they freak out the light goes back on until there is no noise or happy noises. Usually they don't freak out. So I assumed they were settled, hoping they were on the roost. Especially since they all perch on top of MHP instead of going under now so I really don't get it? But maybe MHP was simply too small now? Maybe they think this is just another frame? Outside, since it was already pretty dark, they settled too but instead of in the coop, they were just piled in a corner under the coop part of the run. But during the day they all use the roosts and they perch on top of MHP so I really thought they were ready. Maybe I need to lower the roost just a bit so that they simply CAN'T go under it? And hopefully since there's really no other good sleeping spot they would go on it? Or maybe I need to place them on top of it? Or both? I just don't understand it because everything points to them being ready. Yet they go under. And yesterday I saw a BO scratch the shavings, I figured looking for food, but instead she just plopped down, feet under body, all comfy. It's almost like she made a nest.. and an Australorp did too. Yet way too young. I know they're just settling in, getting comfy, but kinda weird. This was before I added the roost. Anyway, I just don't understand why they won't use it when they love the one outside.

I was going to put the chickens out but now there's bees out there so I'll just make the garage area bigger I guess. Also I suppose I should start cleaning up the food out there instead of.leaving it, particularly fruit. But would they get stung out there? It's really not that big of an area so they can't exactly run across the yard to escape. Though I feel like I may have heard chickens will eat bees? But I don't want to deal with any birds being stung amd I don't want to be stung myself so keeping them inside or maybe making a temporary outdoor thing

Chicks have spent two nights outside so far and are currently sleeping inside the coop. They finally figured out how to go up the ramp as well as down so no need for the back door to be open anymore. They've been in there at least an hour, maybe two. Some woke up and came out but they're all back in now. But then again they've been up since 8:30. 2:12 now. Very cold and rainy outside. Not currently raining but good day to stay inside. Hahah I don't really understand it though because yesterday it was truly raining and they were in the rain and then under the coop all day except 3 smart ones who were inside so maybe they just finally smartened up. Anyhow, I hope this weather improves.

I take that back, a couple are awake now. I guess they got hungry since there's no food in the coop