Outside at last!

The hens moved outside and all is going well. It is a good thing that I put the fence around the coop because it is going to take a while before Bixby looses interest in the chickens. Everything seemed fine until one morning we heard a strange noise. We thought it was one of the cats but then realized it was coming from outside. It sounded like rr rr rrrr. After about 4 days and being in denial we have conceded that Billina is a cockerel. She...he is such a friendly chicken. I don't want to have him reduced to a meal so I am trying to find him a home. It's difficult...you just really don't need many males around, but I am asking everyone I know with chickens. Hopefully some one will show up before the neighbors complain.

The flood is coming!

looking out the window

Miss Featherbottom decided to have some quite time

The hens have outgrown the brooder box and are ready to move to a bigger home.  I am waiting for the weather to warm up as they should not be outside at this stage until the night time temperature doesn't go below 50 degrees.  However, we had a drain problem in the basement and I noticed that the shower drain was plugged...which is in the bathroom with the brooder box.  I got two dryer boxes and put them together and moved the chicks to a storage room in the basement.  They will need to stay there for about a week until the temperature at night is higher. 

Safety first!

After seeing how excited Bixby was with the chicks I decided to add an extra barrier for at least the first year. I bought a portable fence to put around the coop. It is 10 x 10 x 6 feet tall. The chicks can roam around in the pen and I won't have to worry about them with the dogs. Hopefully the chicks won't stick their heads through the fence!

Billina and Spot are the most independent of the 4 chicks, pictured here at ~ 6 weeks. They like to roost on the top edge of their box. Billina, aka Ms Congeniality,  is the most sociable of the 4. She actually jumps up to greet us and wants her chest rubbed. She is starting to get her wattle now also. We really hope she is not a cockerel! They start trying to crow at about 5 weeks and since they are now 6 weeks and no cock-a-doodle-doos,  it looks good. Scott loves her and says she loves him too so she wouldn't be reduced to the frying pan anyway but a rooster in the backyard would not make us very popular in the neighborhood. The hens are starting to out grow their box and it will be good to get them into the coop.

A visit to the coop

The hens had a short visit to the coop at 4 weeks. The weather was nice so I took them out for some fresh air. It was a bit of a process though...catching them and transporting them upstairs and outside without the help of 3 cats and 2 dogs. Then in reverse to put them back in the heated box. The night time temperature is not warm enough and they are not old enough to make the permanent move into an unheated coop. They need to be 8 weeks and the outside temperature not below 50. It has been cooler than usual this spring. However, it will be hot soon enough! When they were in the coop they really seemed to enjoy it. They could manage to slide down the ramp but their legs are not long enough yet to climb back up. The dogs were tooooo interested. Bixby will be a challenge to train.

entering the dinosaur phase

dinosaur strut

new feathers and colors

Billina showing off her comb

Spot showing off her new comb

perching and preening

At 3 weeks the chicks have lost there fuzz and they are starting to get their feathers.  They are at the gangly stage with long legs and big feet and sparse feathers...aka dinosaur chicks.  They are all starting to show the colors and markings of adulthood.  The buffs are getting some of the rust colored feathers, Spot is getting her barred black and white feathering and hen maddox hen is getting her speckles.  They began roosting this week so I added another perch.  I also noticed their combs are starting to show.  They are curious about what we are doing when we look in on them and they cock their heads to one side and look up at us with one eye.  Of course, when I am there I usually refill their feeder so all the more reason for them to be curious.

New addition

barred rock chick...aka Spot

chicks at 2 weeks

The black australorps did not arrive from the hatchery so I decided to get a chick that is the same age as the other chicks.  Our new addition is a Plymouth barred rock chick.  They often have a spot on the top of their heads so we are referring to her as Spot.  She must not have eaten much food at Orchleins because she ate non stop for the first day she was here.  The introduction of a new chick was strange.  The 3 chicks looked at Spot and she looked at them like they were from another planet...  However, the chicks had a change of venue last week. We had new windows installed downstairs so I had to move them into the bathroom closet upstairs during the installation.  I think that helped them all transition together.  They are all sticking together just fine.  When I transported them back downstairs Bixby made the discovery.  He has become very interested since fried chicken is his favorite food!  He stood watch over the door for quite a while to see if he could get a better look.  It is amazing how fast they are growing.  They are starting to get their wing feathers and trying them out with some short flaps and quasi flights across the brooder box.

The chicks are here...the chicks are here!

The chicks finally arrive on March 15th.  I hope the Ides of March is not a bad omen!  I brought home two buff orpingtons and a speckled sussex.  The latter was a surprize as I was told that they would not get this breed.  I think they just get what they get.  The black australorps didn't arrive so I will try for one of those next Tuesday.  The chicks are doing well, eating, drinking and peeping!
Today could have been a disaster for them. I checked on them this morning and all was fine.  I always check to make sure the cats are not around before I open the door to the bathroom where they are kept.  However, when I went home at lunch I stopped to check on them before going upstairs.  I heard a cat but didn't see one but when I opened the door there was Gus.  Luckily for the chicks Persians are not very active.  He was just laying on the floor squeezed between the door and the brooder box.  The cover for the box had been disturbed but Gus is too fat to be able to jump up in such tight quarters.  I will definitely have to be more careful in the future. Sorry girls!