Friday 31 August 2012

The time has almost come..

...to nove the babies to their new home on the Allotment. 

I've been looking forward to this - and the freedom it brings -  for a couple of weeks but, now the move is imminent, I'm not looking forward to it at all.  How perverse!

The chicks are more than ready. They are 8.5 weeks old, and need the space.  I keep telling myself that they will be very happy,  a huge area to explore,  two coops to choose from, lots of spots to dustbathe in.   But I will miss them.

I will miss their happy little cheeping sounds; I'll miss having that wave f chooks come running up to see me when I go out; I'll miss my group of especially firendly chooks who desperately want to be picked up (and rewarded with a treat).  I'll miss the bedtime squabbling, and Yellow doing his rounds when everyone has gone upstairs.

We're going to keep the two garden-destined Girls here.   If they had been younger, I would have sent them all to the Allotment and brought the two girls back later, when they are older.  I feel mean separating them from their brothers and sisters now,  but overall it will be one less upheaval for them to suffer if I separate them now.  And the advantage of keeping them here is that it will be easier to get them happy and relaxed in our company, as we'll see them all the time.

I guess it's a little easier as the choice of who the "lucky" girls are is clear.  Only one of the Exchequers is a girl, so she will be one;  the friendliest of the Welsh Blacks are Yellow, Green and Grey.  Yellow and Grey are both boys,  so Green is the natural choice.    

Tomorrow's the day. Weather permitting.

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