grown up chicks

We opened up the broody coup a couple of days ago, and the hen and her three chicks, now six weeks old, rushed out into the big wide world.  The grass is long and the chicks can hide completely in it!. They are not so much chicks now as chick-hens (guess that’s where the word comes from?) The three youngsters were accepted by the older four without hesitation, probably helped by the fact the broody coup was inside the hen run, so they have been ‘together’ for a while.  There has been a little sorting out of the pecking order, amongst the adults, but they seem a contented flock.

The broody hen, has pretty much lost interest in them, and after the first night, went back into the hen house to roost with the others, while the kids go back to the broody coup and huddle up together.  Very handy that they do this all by themselves, and we just shut the coup for extra safety. Broody hen is no longer broody, and has started laying again - we know as she is the buff leghorn and the only one laying white eggs!  I have to wonder if she is planning on laying a clutch.. then going broody again….

We have made yet another modification to the home-made broody coup - Mk1 was a wire cage with a rabbit hutch in one end (hastily put together), MK2 had a better house in the end, and now MK3 has the end opened up, but can be closed by sliding in two planks.  Hurray for pallets! Notice our home made feeder… yes its a tub, on a plant saucer, held up on a couple of bits of wood, with a board and brick roof. Very improvised.. but it works.

Naturally three of the four hens have decided the broody coup house is a much better place to lay eggs, and so we have to collect them before the kids go to bed.