Farm Life Fragments - Play Pen

As our first brood of baby chicks nears one month old they are quickly out-growing their indoor brooding box.  We started with ten chicks, we lost two to sickness. Eight baby chicks grow fast and as they try to fly they are often successful and end up outside their box. And the goose. Well, she is visibly taller every day. They needed the space and time to acclimated to outside conditions. Daddy and Papa built an outdoor playpen. The playpen gives them a safe place to explore, but separate from the adult flock. I'm hoping that slowly integrating them together will cause less conflict. The daytime temperatures are warming up and they are enjoying their time outside. They are still brought indoors to sleep under their heat lamp, for now.

It is nothing more that chicken wire (I know the irony is too much) attached to fencing posts. I cut a hole in a cardboard box to give them a secure place to hide. Add a water dish and scatter some food for them to scratch around for and you have a baby chicken play pen.

The adult birds checked them out briefly. The cats often sit on top the fence post and watch them, a little too tempted to hunt them, you can tell. But they continue to make the right choice! The goose does a good job of being their protector. She flaps her wings and stretches out her neck if she feels threatened. A job she takes very seriously. It's hard to separate her from them now. She is concerned about leaving them and when she hears them squeal she tries to find them. I am so glad. At first I was really concerned about Buttercup adapting to life outside as a real outdoor farm goose. She enjoys napping with Landon, playing on his carpeted bedroom floor and having warm indoor swims. The first time we left her in the playpen she cried and cried. I spied on her through the window and eventually she settled down and went to sleep. Now, she calmly hangs with her chicks.

I don't know if this is true, but the couple days of sunshine have seemed to drastically change their feathers and comb colors. Three were bright white, two are turning light brown. And our black chicks are getting their bright red combs. Sunshine is good for everyone!

"Those birds are foul",  Daddy said while giggling under his breath, because he thinks he is so funny! Get it --- they are fowl, but they also really stink when kept inside in their brooding box -- foul!

They have entered their adolescent awkward-looking stage. Don't tell Addi, she'll will defend them to the end, but they are ugly! They are no longer fuzzy or round and they run like dinosaurs! Their wings work just enough to send them slamming into the fence.  They eat all the time and poop as often.

Awkward, stinky, and noisy, but I just love having them. I love having chickens running around my yard as my kids play. Landon always stops to trap and cradle one. It is so cool. I am looking forward to the warmer weather when I will attempt to encourage one of my hens to brood a small clutch of eggs! More babies, yay!