Week 6

Week 6 with the chicks was eventful! The girls went outside for good on Sunday July 12th, which was the same day I was having my grad party. So at around 10 AM that morning I unscrewed the back piece off of my run, and attached the run to the hen house with screws (I had to run to the hardware store to get longer screws, unfortunately, but I stopped for fresh bagels on my way! Yum!). After this, I filled the hen house with pine shavings, and brought the chicks out with the help of a good friend and my boyfriend. The girls avoided the house for the most part, but cheerily pranced around on the grass all day. Come nighttime, the chicks were all still huddled in a corner of the run. So one by one, I placed the reluctant chicks in their new home and said goodnight. That was the only night I had to put the girls away physically...every night since then, the girls have gravitated to their home once it started to get dark (7ish) and I've closed and locked the door soon after (8ish). Today is Thursday and the chicks have eaten and/ or trampled on and/or pooped on every inch the 15 sq-ft run has to offer. I'm thinking of rotating my attached coop/hen house each week until I construct a larger run; although, moving the structure is pretty much a 3 person job. I'll do my best and learn as I go! Right now I'm reading the book, Dirty Chick, by Antonia Murphy, and I'm loving it. Antonia shares her own personal, unconventional, and hilarious farming experience.