Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[Rock Home Isle]

Finally, our first day outside.

Today was a beautiful warm day outside, so I locked up the big girls and outside we went.

 

[GardenNut]

And they loved every minute!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

The warm sun prompted some to just plop down, right where they stood...and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

And they loved every minute!

Hey there GardenNut. Just posting about my girl's first day in the wild outdoors of the backyard

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I loaded up the chicks into a box that my wife carried out, while I brought out the hoppers of food and water.

I couldn't go far without the dogs joining us and sniffing the girls.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I took them down by the garden. A great place with rich loamy soils for them to scratch and play.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Eventually worms were uncovered, and chases were run...all sorts of mad scampers ensued as the girls discovered leaf litter, twigs, and old feathers. The feathers created great races each time one was found. Chicks running about flapping young growing wings and scampering after the bird with the feather.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

After a while we moved to a semi-shady area under the cottonwood. Dogs followed and spent a lot of time scratching and sniffing while the birds scampered, scratched and rooted out a few more worms from the sawd.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

After several hours, the girls let me know it was time to head inside.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Chickenology

Here is what the entrance to the run looked like a few years ago.

The birds can be pretty hard on the ground coming out of their run. In the past it was just a bare spot, that gradually worked itself into a hole...followed by a crater. So I put down some pavers to make a nice neat little porch. I used play sand to fill in the gaps between the pavers, but over time this works its way out and I have gaps again.

So each spring I scatter a shovel full of play sand onto the pavers. The chickens stop each morning and scratch at the sand, and pick up the bigger pieces as grit for their gizzard.

After a week or so the chickens have worked the sand back into the gaps, and I'm happy.

Course I can't stop and do much of anything in the yard without attracting attention and generating curiosity.

Keeping chickens is such fun.