They're outside now....FINALLY!!! And I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief. (OK, so maybe part of me is really sad that they're outside now...but I sure don't miss the mess!
) These poor little guys and gals have been cooped up in the house since they hatched seven weeks ago. Old mother nature just wouldn't give us a break with warmer temperatures until this last week. They moved out to the great outdoors last Wednesday and have fully settled into a pretty good routine.
We built a temporary "Babies" coop out of a heavy duty plastic barrel. It may look strange, but it works pretty darn good. We cut the top off of it and added a floor and a front door. Nothing fancy, just someplace for them to sleep safely at night and to keep them out of the weather. It's a funny thing though: I built a small "A" frame temporary coop for Griffin to serve as shelter during his quarantine. These little hooligans like to take naps in it, but won't spend the night in it.
Somehow we got it programed into their little chicky brains that the barrel is where they're supposed to be at night.
Both structures are very sound and weather tight, so wherever they choose to sleep is fine with me. We had a pretty good thunder storm rip through last night. I bet during the middle of that weather event that more than a few of them were wishing they had chosen to sleep in the "A" frame! A cedar shake roof has just got to be a lot quieter than a plastic barrel when the rain is drumming down on it!
So, some pictures are in order here I think. Hang on....let me go dig a few up from the photobucket files:
Here's the barrel coop all loaded up on the wagon and ready to go outside:
This picture is from the first attempt we made at introducing them to the joys of the great outdoors. That was a week ago Saturday. That attempt failed miserably on account of the weather. After 6 hours of them in the barrel and they STILL wouldn't come out, I gave up at sunset and packed them back up on the wagon and towed them all back to the house where they stayed for another four days.
Fast forward from a week ago Saturday to this last Wednesday. What a difference a few days can make!
Here they are checking out the "A" frame coop for the first time. They reminded me for all the world like a bunch of potential home buyers at an open house!
Prius got a chance to make some quick acquaintances with a few of the big girls.
And of course Griffin had to check out the new little girls. Easy there big fella! It will be a few more months before you can dance for her!
I really had to laugh at that big silly brute! He sang and danced for Prius and was offering her tasty little tidbits through the fence line from the big chickens food dish. What a charmer he is! And certainly has an eye for the ladies!
Oh LOOK! Young Fluffy Butts!! This is Prius and Evie taking a nice evening stroll around the grounds. I wonder just what they were talking about. I'm sure it had to have something to do with Griffin, by the way they kept looking back over their shoulders at him from time to time.
I think one of the things I'm loving the most about finally getting the whole crew out of the house and into the great outdoors is no more shavings in the food and water dishes!!!
All through that first day they were in and out of the barrel. A few at a time would climb back up in and take a nap, and then trade places with another handful of them. Crazy birds! I put the door end back on just before sunset, went back and checked on all of them about a half hour later to find everyone had put themselves to bed for the night. All there was for me to do was to latch the door against predators.
All in all, they're progressing very nicely. I can hardly wait to set the next batch of eggs in the incubator. They will be purebred Ameraucanas from Pips&Peeps.
I've requested Blue Wheatons from Jean, but I'll be thrilled at whatever she has available for me! We'll be paying her a visit next weekend (still have to work out the details) to pick up the eggs. I can hardly wait to see her operation in person!!
Thanks for sharing a moment with my latest flock of young'uns folks. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I'll add a few more in about another week or so. There's just so dang much to do around here, what with building the house, tending to the gardens and the green house. The Great Spirit just didn't put enough hours in the day!
We built a temporary "Babies" coop out of a heavy duty plastic barrel. It may look strange, but it works pretty darn good. We cut the top off of it and added a floor and a front door. Nothing fancy, just someplace for them to sleep safely at night and to keep them out of the weather. It's a funny thing though: I built a small "A" frame temporary coop for Griffin to serve as shelter during his quarantine. These little hooligans like to take naps in it, but won't spend the night in it.
Somehow we got it programed into their little chicky brains that the barrel is where they're supposed to be at night.
So, some pictures are in order here I think. Hang on....let me go dig a few up from the photobucket files:
Here's the barrel coop all loaded up on the wagon and ready to go outside:
This picture is from the first attempt we made at introducing them to the joys of the great outdoors. That was a week ago Saturday. That attempt failed miserably on account of the weather. After 6 hours of them in the barrel and they STILL wouldn't come out, I gave up at sunset and packed them back up on the wagon and towed them all back to the house where they stayed for another four days.
Fast forward from a week ago Saturday to this last Wednesday. What a difference a few days can make!
Here they are checking out the "A" frame coop for the first time. They reminded me for all the world like a bunch of potential home buyers at an open house!
Prius got a chance to make some quick acquaintances with a few of the big girls.
And of course Griffin had to check out the new little girls. Easy there big fella! It will be a few more months before you can dance for her!
I really had to laugh at that big silly brute! He sang and danced for Prius and was offering her tasty little tidbits through the fence line from the big chickens food dish. What a charmer he is! And certainly has an eye for the ladies!
Oh LOOK! Young Fluffy Butts!! This is Prius and Evie taking a nice evening stroll around the grounds. I wonder just what they were talking about. I'm sure it had to have something to do with Griffin, by the way they kept looking back over their shoulders at him from time to time.
I think one of the things I'm loving the most about finally getting the whole crew out of the house and into the great outdoors is no more shavings in the food and water dishes!!!
All through that first day they were in and out of the barrel. A few at a time would climb back up in and take a nap, and then trade places with another handful of them. Crazy birds! I put the door end back on just before sunset, went back and checked on all of them about a half hour later to find everyone had put themselves to bed for the night. All there was for me to do was to latch the door against predators.
All in all, they're progressing very nicely. I can hardly wait to set the next batch of eggs in the incubator. They will be purebred Ameraucanas from Pips&Peeps.
Thanks for sharing a moment with my latest flock of young'uns folks. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I'll add a few more in about another week or so. There's just so dang much to do around here, what with building the house, tending to the gardens and the green house. The Great Spirit just didn't put enough hours in the day!
