The Chicks Venture Out

Alright, so this isn't a picture of my chickens. It's my pond and I wanted to post it because after three straight weeks of rain, it is lush and green. The Heron didn't get as many fish as I thought he did and my prized black and gold fish is still there. The Heron was back this morning but we put up more fencing and the dog chased him away so maybe it will discourage him.

You can see a few fish congregating around the waterfall.

The new chicks are almost five weeks old and going a little stir crazy in the coop. But with the rain, chilly air and soggy ground, there was no way they could go outside. Today it was warm and they have most of their feathers so I had my son throw them out of the coop. The girls were really scared to death but quickly thought being out was pretty cool. The big girls were out free ranging for a bit while the little ones played. They are still separated right now and I'll integrate them in about another week into the rest of the flock. Sending the birds outside also gave me a chance to freshen the very stinky coop. What a mess!

At first they all huddled in a corner.

Then they started to spread out. The Easter Egger on the far left is named Ginger and is by far the friendliest. I think she's part Parakeet because she'll sit on your finger. Once again the Buff Orpington in the middle is the loudest. She's named Butter. In the far back is my favorite bird, the rusty colored wings and white head. She needs a name. Any ideas?

The White Rock and Australorps-also un-named.

Checking out the scenery. I think the White Rock is going to be huge-just look at the size of her chest already. She is very friendly and I love the snow white feathers.

I still cannot tell the difference between the Cuckoo Maran's and Dominiques yet. I ordered two of each and honestly they look very much alike. I'm wondering if they sent me all the same kind. One of these striped ones is named trouble. I can never tell which one until I reach into the coop and it charges at me an pecks my hand and then it wants to be pet.

The girls spread their wings and stretched and ran and it was quite comical to watch.

The kids gave them a taste of some fresh grass for the first time. The kids really love the birds and it's been a great homeschool lesson for them to learn about. The baby chicks thought a little salad was just delightful. A day trip and a meal out! What could be better?