The chicks seem to have grown overnight.
We use a large tub trug to transport them from their shed brooder to the outside coop, and originally when we needed to put them somewhere so we could clean out their brooder. The first couple of times we cleaned them out (which was every three days back then) we could easily fit all 34 in the trug. The last few days we've been inspecting their bottoms and feet before putting them in the trug. This takes some time, so when DH has moved 10 or so chicks, I swap the trug for an empty one, then pick up the chick trug and take them to the outside run. I then come back, swap trugs, and repeat the process until all 34 are outside.
Today,we decided to see how many chicks could fit in the trug: 17. This means they've (sort of) doubled in size. The last few days must have been about increasing body mass, as well as producing feathers.
After they had been out for about half an hour, I went to check on them. They all ran away (nothing unusual about that), but today they decided to run into the Go. Another step forward - this is the first time they've ventured inside.
I'm hoping we can use this to our advantage. Naturally they really like being out, and they don't really want to get caught to be put back in the brooder. At the moment we have one door on each side of the run (at different positions), but it's still tricky to catch the little darlings. We've found that I have to move round to wherever they are standing, so they rush away from me into DH's hands. They are starting to catch on though.
If they're now running into the coop, that might be a good thing. The Plan is that I can "loom" over them so they all run in there, DH can shut the door, and then we can extract them from the back. Ha ha!
Failing that, I have some additional door panels arriving on Thursday.
I'll let you know if the Plan works.
We use a large tub trug to transport them from their shed brooder to the outside coop, and originally when we needed to put them somewhere so we could clean out their brooder. The first couple of times we cleaned them out (which was every three days back then) we could easily fit all 34 in the trug. The last few days we've been inspecting their bottoms and feet before putting them in the trug. This takes some time, so when DH has moved 10 or so chicks, I swap the trug for an empty one, then pick up the chick trug and take them to the outside run. I then come back, swap trugs, and repeat the process until all 34 are outside.
Today,we decided to see how many chicks could fit in the trug: 17. This means they've (sort of) doubled in size. The last few days must have been about increasing body mass, as well as producing feathers.
After they had been out for about half an hour, I went to check on them. They all ran away (nothing unusual about that), but today they decided to run into the Go. Another step forward - this is the first time they've ventured inside.
I'm hoping we can use this to our advantage. Naturally they really like being out, and they don't really want to get caught to be put back in the brooder. At the moment we have one door on each side of the run (at different positions), but it's still tricky to catch the little darlings. We've found that I have to move round to wherever they are standing, so they rush away from me into DH's hands. They are starting to catch on though.
If they're now running into the coop, that might be a good thing. The Plan is that I can "loom" over them so they all run in there, DH can shut the door, and then we can extract them from the back. Ha ha!
Failing that, I have some additional door panels arriving on Thursday.
I'll let you know if the Plan works.
