The Great Outdoors!

A week ago the chicks finally made the big move to The Great Outdoors! It was pretty exciting (and equally scary, we hear lots of coyotes out here – not to mention the bald eagles and hawks that fly over!) The first couple nights I was pretty nervous. But they have done beautifully, we just lock them up tight in the evening and let them out during the day. They seem incredibly happy with the arrangement, though they haven’t learned to go back into the coop at dusk just yet. Too much fun outdoors I suppose! Here is their first time in the coop and then their first move outdoors:

Harriett was the first one out of the coop – and only because she got shoved! The rest slowly followed one by one (though every one but the last came out on accident, by being shoved or by not understanding the ramp was only so wide!) It was pretty fun to watch them start looking for stuff in the ground and realize they were pretty happy with the accidental fall. Goldie was the last to leave the coop, and with no one left to push her, she ended up being the first to leave on purpose.

Isn’t it crazy how much they look like grown chickens at only 5 weeks old?! They change so fast!! They have been a lot of fun watching transform, and I am still hoping they all stay good and safe and healthy for years – though I keep hearing that might not be super likely :(. Time will tell! I’ll probably slow down on the chick updates, as they are looking nearly grown already, but if anything important happens I’ll be sure to keep you informed!