Yesterday - or as it Sunday?, I forget now - we agreed that if we had a hot dry day I would clean and disinfect the green Cube so that we could "swap" it for the chicks' Go.
I had considered leaving the chicks in the Go until they went to the allotment. It's only two weeks or so, and the Go would be big enough to house them for that short period of time. Leaving then in the Go would give them one less change to deal with.... and it would save stressing Lotti out. Lotti lays her egg in the green Cube. No one else does, and it's where she can get into safely and easily.
However, when the chicks get to the allotment, they will be in a house on legs and have to deal with a ladder... so it seems a good idea to get them used to a ladder now.
Anyway. We awoke today to bright sunshine, and DH was keen to make use of the good weather as the whole operation was going to be a bit tricky. It wasn't quite going to be a "swap".
While I emptied the green cube, DH separated the Cube-with-one-run-extension from the cube extension that is "permanently" fixed to the outside of our walk in run.
He also swapped out a side door panel (we have doors in lots of places on our runs) to put on the chicks run. Finally, he manouevred the cube between the shrub and the run, to freedom. Once again, I wished that the skirts on he Cube were hinged.
I set about power washing and then poultry shielding everything.
Meanwhile, I emptied, dismantled and cleaned the orange cube, and poultry shielded all the bits. Thought I might as well while I had the power washer and the disinfectant sprayer out.
Everything is currently drip drying in the sun, and it'll all be put together later this afternoon.
DH sorted out another Cube extension to put where the Cube had been. We needed a big door at the back, as we had to be able to get in to the run to reach the back of the Go to get at any eggs.
Then he made up Heath Robinson affair to put on the front of the Cube run, using various bits of Omlet mesh that we had available.
We're hoping that the chicks can move out of the shed and into the Cube overnight soon. Maybe at the weekend, maybe a bit before if the weather is kind. We'll have the small electric hen in the back, so it should be OK.
