Friends, Chickens, Countrymen Lend Me Your Ears
My fellow chicken lovers of the world: as a young chick, Margaret may have dreamed of being a baseball-shaped egg. But today we say: we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
That quote, made infamous by Senator Kodos, more or less sums up how the life has been since we started the journey to our first egg – a chaotic race towards their ultimate goal:
FREEDOM.
…Ish.
This week coop, and the chicks, took their biggest leap yet: making the BIG move to the great outdoors. I’m starting to feel much more like a genuine hobby-farmist with each passing day.
Bustin’ out
Coop setup was surprisingly smooth. We hauled the already-built structure to the selected spot, leveled the ground until it sat nice and flat (making sure all doors operated smoothly!), added the run and roof to the coop, then locked it all in place by burying the base in a layer of gravel. No muss, no fuss!
Then came the part we had been looking forward to: introducing the chicks to their new home. What better way to transport them all together than in a wagon, lined with bright yellow tissue paper? A stylish way for our nine feathered friends to embark on their new adventure, for sure!
The kids gently loaded their passengers, eager to show the chicks their new digs.
Bump, Bump, Bump… Off they went!
After a few tentative steps, the chicks wasted no time diving into the stumps and shrubs looking to see if they could find any tasty snacks, and playing their own version of king of the hill. They seemed to approve of the location: a perfect mix of lookouts and hidey-holes. It’s quite impressive how aware they seem to be of their surroundings.
I said: Upward, not Forward!
But they’re still just little and learning the ropes.
Or should I say: ramp?
The steep climb up the ramp into the coop gave them a bit of trouble at first. I must admit, I had some good laughs watching their failed attempts as they flailed off the side, knocking into one another, and creating feathery little pileups.
But persistence paid off.
After brushing themselves off, they’d hop right up to try again. Before long, most of them had figured out that all it took were a few big FLAPS to help them get to the top! A few even made it to the roosting bar. I think they’ll like it, just fine.
Bringing the Chickens Home to Roost
Now that the chicks were all out and about, the question became: how do you put them back in?
As evening fell, we weren’t sure what to expect. Would we have to round them all up? How hard it would be to corral them all back into the coop? But it turned out we didn’t have to worry. At dusk it was like a switch flipped and they all marched into the coop without prompting, ready to snuggled in for their first night in the great outdoors. The roosting instinct, it turns out, is strong!
Finally, we ran the extension cord down for the heat lamp to make sure they would be extra cozy.
At least for the first few nights.
Each day since, they have grown braver and explore further and further: sometimes venturing under the lilacs or lounging in the hedges by the firepit. At least they seem keen to stick together, and you can usually tell where they are by following the peeping!
For now their ‘free range’ is limited, and we hope their coop with attached run is more than enough space (with the addition of supervised yard time during the day).But as always: it’s only a matter of time until they outgrow it. We will try to stay one step ahead and eventually build a larger fenced run for them to enjoy – and make sure they stay out of neighbor’s yards and safe from roaming cats – but this should be a level up from the little red brooder in the garage where they started!
Another step complete on our journey to the first egg… and world domination!
MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
While we wait
As we wait with anticipation for those eggs to start rolling in, it’s worth having a few good books to pass the time (and fill your head).
The Tuttle Twins Back-to-School Sale is almost over, so if you’re looking engaging, and empowering reads for kids I can’t recommend them enough! Seriously, right now the book bundle is $300 off, and includes not only books but also audio versions, and worksheets for both kids and parents. Perfect to encourage learning, wherever you are!
If I didn’t already own them, I’d buy them again!
Psst... Did you know we have printable Chicken Themed Activity Sheets? Get yours (and more) in our Store, or sign up for Margaret Hatcher's mailing list and receive each new set sent directly to you: FREE!
Want to learn more about Margaret Hatcher and the rest of the chickens? Visit Hatcher’s Homeschool – where Free-Range Minds and Egg-ceptional Ideas Take Flight!
