Girls Gone Wild

Today I decided to continue work on the chicken castle and my first priority was to fix a problem with the door that allows the bedding to fall out when the door is opened. I needed to work inside both the coop and run so I decided to let the chicks explore the great outdoors while I did my work.

As soon as I opened the door all the chicks hopped up on the edge of the door frame and jumped down to the grass. They really love eating grass and it didn't take them long to start exploring beyond the immediate area. They were probably out for about 20 minutes and I noticed that they were starting to test their wings so I took the opportunity to offer them a treat and they all happily re-entered to coop to eat the dried meal worms that they all enjoy, except one we are calling Phoebe. I don't think she has even tried one, so she probably doesn't know what she's missing. Maybe she's a vegetarian chicken, or maybe just clueless!

After the chicks were safely back in the coop I painted the top coat all around and then installed the new door shield that should keep the bedding material in its place.

So far we have named three of the six chicks, Goldie, Sadie and now Phoebe.

Five on the Roost

The chicks are spending lots of time outside now and I have only been leaving their light on during the day on the coldest of days. I still turn the light on almost every night and they make their way into the coop to cuddle under its warm glow. All six chicks had been roosting scrunched up at one end of the roost, but one of the barred rock chicks flew off just before I snapped this picture. I kind of feel sorry for the Ameraucana chick on the bottom. 

The six chicks are getting along pretty well most days. They do seem to keep themselves entertained by chasing one another around the run and jumping up on the ramp, flying up to the roost and back down. They are lots of fun to watch. 

Last weekend when I installed the roost, I didn't think they would be able to get up to it right away, but as soon as it was installed they all immediately started looking up at it and trying to figure out how to get on it. The first attempts were failed, but then the figured it out. After s few got on, they learned to scoot down to one end so the others could fly up. It's pretty amazing that they figured it out as quickly. 

The water and food also got hung up outside and there has been much less spillage and waste since I moved them there. The fun thing about these girls is that every time we visit them they run to the door looking for a treat. They also like to get out of the run and eat the grass.

Running Behind

Wow, you take a few weekends off to build a home for some new chicks and the yard gets completely overgrown! I took the opportunity after work on a beautiful afternoon/evening to mow and edge the lawn, prune our lilac that had really grown this spring, and sweep up the patio. I threw some grass clippings into the chicken coop and the chicks seemed to enjoy the treat.

After to mowing, I turned on the sprinkler around and under the trees that have sucked all the moisture from the lawn. I have lots more pruning to do in the front yard this week too. The rhododendrons are almost done blooming and need to be brought down quite a bit this year. The weeping flowering cherry also needs a haircut soon.

Chicken Races

Yesterday I added the roof to the chicken castle and built the ramp for the chicks to get into and out of the coop during the day. I also added some additional structural pieces and paint, so it's starting to look more complete. The chicks loved scratching around in the dirt and eating little bits of grass and leaves left behind in the run. After I unblocked the chicken door, they started peeking their heads out to investigate and in no time they were racing down the ramp into the run.

The neighbor behind us was showing her grandsons the chickens and told me that she loved seeing and listening to them. That was good to hear. Honestly with all of the barking dogs and loud peacocks running around the neighborhood, I don't expect to get any grief from our neighbors about our little flock. Still it was nice to hear the she liked them.

This morning when I unblocked the chicken door, the six chicks again raced down the ramp and started foraging. Later I noticed that they have figured out how to get back up the ramp and into the coop too. They also seem to like hanging out on the ramp and jumping or flying off of it. They are pretty fun to watch I must admit.

All Moved In

Today I finally moved the chicks into their new home. I still have some work to do, but they really needed the extra room. They seem to like it a lot, flapping their little wings and trying to see outside. There is a lot of scratching and running around so far. I added a little roost after I took this picture and some of the chicks immediately hopped up on it and flapped their wings.

To the right is a picture of Goldie, our Golden Sex Link. She is starting to look very pretty and has soft feathers. She was the last chick to leave the brooder today. Her choice. She was playing hard to get. I actually tried to catch her first, but she flew away from me so I took Sadie first and she got to explore the new coop on her own for a few minutes. It didn't take long for her to start chirping loudly for her friends. The next two were the Ameraucana chicks and then the Plymouth Barred Rock. After the rest of the chicks were gone, Goldie missed them immediately and started her loud chirping for her friends. When I went back to get her she didn't put up as much of a fight and was finally happily checking out her new home.

Almost Ready

It's almost time to move the chicks into their new home. Today I caulked the inside of the coop and applied the top coat of semi gloss paint to make cleaning easier later on. I finished the doors and got them hung up too! 

I still need two sheets of plywood and the metal roofing material to keep the water out, but that will probably have to wait until next weekend. The coop roof is covered with plywood and it's basically ready to lay down the bedding and move the chicks in. I want to wait until the paint and caulk has another day to cure so it doesn't bother the chicks.

For the most part I'm pretty happy with how things are progressing. It's getting tough to see where I used recycled material so I like that! 

I added a couple of pictures of the coop so far. I still need to make a ramp so the chicks can get from the run to the coop and of course the egg box, but there is no rush for that.

Later this summer I will add windows to the door and above where the egg box will go to seal up the coop when the weather turns "foul".

Chicks First Day Outside

Enjoying the great outdoors

The chicks are getting big and I have been seeing them getting restless in their brooder lately, so today while I was working on their new home, I decided to let them spend the day in the run. I put up a piece of plywood where the run door will go while I worked on the doors for the run and coop. They had a great day eating grass, chasing flies, scratching in the dirt and flapping their wings. They never sat still all day long. When I gathered them up to put them back in their brooder, they all settled in together under the light. The girls are getting more used to us and moving them outside and then inside helped to get them even more comfortable. They really love the dried mealworms that I used to lure them to me so I could scoop them up.

I got lots of work done on the two doors today and I will be heading to the store tomorrow for door hardware, plywood and 2x4s to hopefully get closer to finishing the chicken castle. I hope to get the doors and roof done tomorrow so the chicks can move into their new home this weekend and I can clean up my shop.