There have been a couple of "happenings" here on the Shawhan farm. For starters, we now open the brooder for Flock 3...at least on the warmer days, since they don't even act like they want out when it dips to cooler temperatures. Not everyone has had the courage to venture out of the cozy confines of the water tank, but the bigger broads like to get out and stretch their wings a bit.
We were going to wait until this weekend, but one morning Dan said an Orpington almost flew out on him. We decided then and there we better open the hatches and give them some more space. Already the Orpingtons are getting big! I am naming one of these Wynona by the way...since Wynona Judd was just on Dancing With the Stars. Plus I figure if "she" ends up a "he"...which is always my luck, right?...then we can name him Cletus T. Judd. Either way, I'll win!
Our poor little Bantams have yet to get brave and leave, though with their macho attitudes, I'm wondering why they are waiting. It's a good thing though, since they could probably fit through the kennel pieces where they are put together, and possibly escape or be caught in the claws of the barn cats.
(I need better pictures of this whole set up...sorry!)
Here is Dan showing one of the newbies it's OK to use the ladder and take a walk outside every now and then!
We also removed all the newspaper bedding and switched to sawdust. The chicks are already starting the motions of a good old dust bath and I am super excited not to have to perform the daily diaper change anymore!
Switching to the rest of the flock...
After successfully blocking everyone in the steer lot again, a certain Comet and Araucana were still flying the coop. For a few days we would have to chase down a Comet in the evening and put her butt back inside. I still don't know why a chicken is so head strong and insists on getting out every day, but stresses out how she will get back inside at night. Anyhoo, we didn't even know an Araucana was getting out until I discovered this:
which Goldie Locks was sitting on. As you can see there are more blue eggs than brown. Either two chickens were getting out on a regular basis, or the blue eggs were old. Either way we collected them and added the eggs to our hoard in the refrigerator. No worries though, the Araucana was spotted out just yesterday!
...cluck... cluck... cluck...
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