They're out!

I decided I can't wait for the weather to improve, so bought 3 more sheets of corrugated plastic sheeting to cover more of the run roof, fitted it then moved the 7wk old pekins out into their new house and run today.



The weather was dismal. Torrential rain showers on and off all day long today!

I carried the babies out to their new house in a large cat carrier and took the lid off inside the hen house. They were reluctant to get out of it, so had to pick them out one by one. Put the roof back on the house and went around and opened the pophole.



An hour and a half later they decided to test the run. The Sable Poot was the first out, then the blue pekin hen followed by the lavendar frizzle cockerel 'Sparky'.



Once 2 or 3 were outside they all piled out and went crazy scratching around and picking up the insects. They were loving it.

It was great to see them outside at last, scratching around, pecking at the grass (and weeds). Doing what chicken should do, or trying to. Without a mother hen to show them they've learnt pretty fast, bless them.

Unfortunately there was a really severe downpour and my roof leaked in one place, but nothing too serious. I'm no carpenter and the majority of the run is dry.

At bed time they were all huddled in a little group near the house and some were going to sleep, so I had to go and put them in the house one by one and shut the pophole up for the night and made sure it was fox proof. Although to get to the pophole the fox would have to cut his way through the weldmesh to get to the house.



I'm feeling pretty proud of them, they're fine birds for 7wks old. Can't wait for the next half dozen to feather up and get old enough to join them.


I spent ages sat watching them, not in the rain I might add. I went indoors and watched from my window, I spent almost 2hrs sat there just watching each one in turn. It was so relaxing, I'd forgotten how peaceful it is to watch animals and birds doing their own thing. A great way to forget all the troubles of the world, and be in your own little bit of paradise for a while, oblivious of all the turmoil going on elsewhere.