My DD sent me a pair of cover-alls for Easter, the pockets were stuffed with plastic eggs LOL
So this morning I wore my new cover alls and got the coop ready for the chicks since it's finally done. Inside painting was finished over the weekend. The fence is finished too but I need to remove some clumps of clay soil out from the post hole digger, so they can't use the run for a while.
I filled the coop with pine shavings, hung the waterer, feeder and the heat lamp. It's 45 degrees and raining today. The area underneath the lamp is at 80 degrees. I put in a big pan of fresh grass, a couple rubber balls for them to play with in case they get bored, and then brought the babies out to their new home. They were HORRIFIED. I mean absolutely horrified! I was sitting on the floor when I opened their box to let them loose and they ran for my lap and wouldn't move. Such squawking, it was unbelievable, then they were just quiet. It took a good 10 minutes until Vivian (Silky), got off my lap and went to investigate. The others followed but were really suspicious and afraid. I sat with them for about an hour until they all got busy looking around. They're really eating the shavings which is worrisome, I hope that's just a stage? Weather is really crappy to put them out so I hope the heat lamp is enough. They were too big for the pen in the garage and starting to get too wild and bossy with each other. I'll have to run out and check on them every 10 minutes, ha!
The Coop!
Poor babies didn't realized all the effort you guys went thru to give them such a nice home. I am sure they will get used to it and settle in. I love the fact that they all ran to sit in your lap, they want "momma" to protect them.
Well, they got over wanting momma to protect them in a hurry, but they did run up to me when I walked in the coop to say hi. They love the new coop! I could sit and watch them all day, even have a little chair in there so I can sit. They were burrowing down in the shavings and fluffering and rolling - poor babies, so I brought down their little sand & DE box for them and now they use that instead. They get really serious about fluffing in it! They're already jumping off and on the lowest rung of the roost. It warmed up and the drizzled stopped, sun is even out now. None of them are hanging out under the heat light so they must be comfortable. They're just so darned cute and love having all the extra space to run around in. I need to get a chickie fix about every 10 minutes LOL
So Cool Annie, I will be moving the 4 week olds outside this weekend, they are getting too big for the big tank. They will be put in with the 6 week olds, and then the new babies will go in the big tank so they have room and Alfalfa for the floor... My cup is runnith over with Chickens.
Please don't mention more baby chicks MissJ, it makes it too hard to resist all that fuzzy fluff. I envy you, and everyone here with new hatches, all the new babies, lucky you!!
I need to stop running out to the coop every 10 minutes, I'm not getting anything done but playing with chicks. Just love the way they greet me at the door looking for treats.
LOl Annie then I wont mention I have eggs sitting ready to go into the bator...
Well now that you mentioned it.... it would be cruel to withhold details! How many eggs? What kind? Hatch date? Is Flan involved on pip day?
AnnieBBB, LOL! Last year, my 10 Buff Brahmas were put into their coop for the first time and just huddled on the floor refusing to move anywhere. I had a male peacock who was occupying the coop at night at the time and seemed to really be enjoying roosting in there. He would stick his long neck into the coop and look over the half grown chicks and make a cluching noise at them. I think he was trying to soothe them as he has never made any sort of aggressive action towards them ever. They would have none of it and started schreeching at him. He fled the coop (bunch of screeching women!) and refuses to roost in there again. We had to set up a roosting area for him out in the chicken run! Two days later the chicks were out in the run like they owned the place. It took them a couple more days to figure out they had to go back in the coop at night (I had to pick them up and put them in). It took them about a week to get the routine down and start acting like big girls (and one big boy it turns out). One year later DH and I have a couple of lawn chairs out next to the chicken run and every few warm evenings we go out with a glass of wine and unwind by watching the chickens and the peacocks.
Funny story about the peacock, poor guy was just trying to be nice! Ahhh, to finally be able to sit with a nice glass of ice wine and enjoy it all. It'll be a while. I envy you LOL
I really thought the chicks had figured out the ramp. It's hot and thunderstorms today. Right as it started to rain I went out to make sure they had gone back into the coop - no - they were all !screaming! under the ramp. Had to go into the run and pick them all up and put them through the door. They were very unhappy about getting a little wet. As soon as they were all in the rain stopped. Thunderstorms and high winds are rolling in and the sky is a beautiful black and purple color. They have to stay in for the rest of the day! No more rain drama. Looking forward to that bottle of wine!