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| The young chickens in the "chix truck" with Dewey looking on. |
Four chix arrived on the 6th of May and took up residence in our main floor bathtub. After 3 weeks, I decided to move them down to the basement to a larger brood pen. They acclimated to their new digs fairly quickly, so last week on a particularly warm day, I decided to let them experience the great outdoors. I wheeled the "chix truck" out into the yard and, one by one, carried each squawking bird to their pen-on-wheels. They acted stunned at first, but soon came to life. They loved pecking around in the fresh grass, where they strutted like, well, real chickens. And the dog loved watching them. They provided him with endless entertainment.
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| The new coop and run in the chicken yard. |
The chickens were out again today--scratching for bugs, flapping their wings, and quietly conversing among themselves. They were out for almost six hours and after watching them so thoroughly command their new environment, I decided that it was time for their last big move. Outside. Permanently.
Next week, they will be 6+ weeks old. They are now the size of small footballs. They have lost all their innocent chick down and sprouted feathers. Their distinguishing markings have emerged to reveal their individual breeds. The coop (retro-fitted with a green roof) and the run (expanded and roofed) stand ready for their arrival. These chickens are ready to fly!
