Six little chickens knocking at my door!

[robinwiththechickens]

I have six 6-week old pullets that will be spending their first night in their coop tonight. I had intended for them to be out last night; but about 5 PM after a day spent free ranging they came up on the porch and pecked at the door to be let in to roost in their accustomed place under the kitchen table. I didn’t have the heart to shoo them off the step, so they spent one more night inside.

This morning I dismantled the indoor pen while they stood outside on the step looking in through the screen door. They looked so confused! I hope they aren’t too heartbroken when I lock them in the coop tonight…I hope I’m not too heartbroken to do it.

Why didn’t someone warn me that I’d fall so in love with these silly birds?!

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Didn't ask the right people, obviously....

I have trouble every time I put feathered out chicks outside. 7 more went out today, when I went home at Lunch time. I can't put them out when I get home from work because they wouldn't have "enough" time to enjoy the first day before their first night.
You can bet I'll be hovering around their grow-out coop this evening!

 

[Miyashi]

I just put four out this morning. I had to carry them out individually...just to insure to escape-age.
They would hunker down to the floor and stay there, each one. They stayed like that for about an hour then they started belly crawling all over the coop and now they seem to be doing well.
Silly birds. I'm glad I had the day off so I could hang out with them.
I hope yours do well! I know it's hard for the first few days...you just feel bad for some reason.
I guess it's their little faces.

 

[ChicksterJo]

I think it's harder for us to let them go than it is for them to stay in their coop - at least it was for me! I'd lurk around the coop for hours watching and worrying, thinking what ifs. But then I learn to just lock 'em up and stay in the house and once it gets dark they've most likely made themselves comfortable. I do check them an hour or two after sundown to check that no one's distressed or out of place. My best advice in this situation is to just keep yourself busy until night time, check on them once, and then go back inside the house

 

[theoldchick]

Tell me about it! I felt awful when I pushed mine outside! Poor things loved their little chicken hutch from TSC. I had to be tough, though.... they are only chickens.

Yeah, right. Just ignore my avatar where I'm listening to one chick tell me about her first day out in the real world.

 

[robinwiththechickens]

They all did great their first night out. I checked on them only twice, but worried about them a lot more than that. Thanks for the support everyone!

 

[robinwiththechickens]

Well, apparently they weren't too impressed with their first night out because they showed up pecking at my door this afternoon. I got a picture this time. Too cute!

 

[gryeyes]

"Where's our treats? We did good! Where's our treats?"

 

[BooBear]

awe that is a cute n funny pic