I had originally intended to wait a few more days before transferring the chicks to the coop, but the weather’s been warm — and I just couldn’t take any more attitude. Those little birds have been wearing me down.
Over the past week the chicks have gone wild, turning from adorable little tufts of fuzz to brooder ransacking hooligans. They began dumping their feeder a half dozen times a day, or packing it with bedding, or burying it at the bottom of the brooder under several inches of wood shavings. In all cases, food was wasted at a fast pace and hungry, expectant peeping ensued. They also began kicking bedding into their water bowl so thoroughly that it would absorb, thicken, and block their access to needed fluids. Their kicking and digging and scratching had become an unyielding cacophony at all hours, an activity that flung bedding across the garage and stirred plumes of pulverized dust and food into the air to settle on all surfaces. And they’d begun to smell, no matter how often their cage was tidied.
If our relationship was to have any hope of a rosy future, one of us had to move out.
At five weeks old, they’re at the right age to be transferred to an outdoor coop. At this point, all but Kate are fully feathered (she’s a few days younger) — and they’re all strong, with tough claws and sharp beaks. As the weather has warmed, I have barely used the heat lamp. They’re ready.
This past week I gave the coop a smell test, of sorts, by placing wet and dry cat food in the coop in the evenings to attract varmints and test their mettle. Nothing got in, but nothing big really tried. Some animal attempted to dig in around the edges in several places, but stopped at the buried bougainvillea in each case.
Hopefully the coop is secure.
Either way, the chicks are out there. Their initial explorations were hesitant and en masse, but eventually they discovered their water, food, and independence, and with some prompting surveyed the inner coop and nest boxes. Late their first night (just moments ago), I found them huddled under the lamp, sleeping comfortably.
We have a coop with chickens in it — in our yard. How about that.
Awww, when I click to watch the vid, all I get is “This is a private video”
Glad they’re coop ready
Congratulations! The cute does wear off pretty quick when they get large and still living in the house. First time we turned our young chickens out in their coop, it seemed a little large for them, like a baggy sweater. They grow so fast though, it wasn’t long at all before it was a perfect fit. By the end of summer, you’ll have your own fresh eggs!
The video link is fixed — thanks for the heads up!