ok, so i wrote this about 2 weeks ago and then got busy and forgot where i left off and never posted it... so here goes. (written 4-3-10 but posted 4-21-10, yeah i'm on top of things)
Thus far the chicks have been staying in the garage as their coup gets built and they grow into strong enough little girls to endure the harsh northwest climate. None other than K built their brooder and she gave them plenty of cool shit to occupy their time in the 6 weeks +- they will be spending in the garage. They now have elevated food and water dishes, a perch and cool vents that they can look out of and the cats can look in. Yes the cats have discovered the chickens and as one would guess, Stew is scared to death of them and Bob can’t get in their enough to see them, that is until about a week ago when Cheepy nipped him on the nose when he got too close for comfort. It was a thing to behold, a 15lb cat running scared from a chicken that is about 6-8oz and ¼ of its full size. I got a good laugh, and since then Bob has jumped back on the horse so to speak and likes sitting on top of the brooder during the day until his heart is content. Some of the literature that we have been reading about chicken rearing has said that it is important that the cats know that the chickens are their masters and they are not to fuck with hem, but I am inclined to think that animals are animals and if the cats wanted to be cats they would be, but perhaps they are doing me the courtesy of not ripping them to shreds. If that is the case then our cats rule and are some of the most considerate animals on the planet. Who says you can’t teach cats manners?
Building the better brooder.
(and yes, it was built in the middle of our living room)
Heat lamp in place so that those chicks of ours stay smokin hot! about 90 degrees for the first 2 weeks actually, then it gets lowered by about 5 degrees a week till they are outside animals.
K checking in on the peeps (no not the marshmallow kind)
learning to use their wings to balance themselves. she-so-cute... and the bird ain't bad neither.
they were so soft with their little fluffy feathers.
Who you lookin' at? yeah i started getting my big girl feathers... what of it? (that's Cheepster being shy)
Cheepy looking like a little chicken already, a little neck stretch never hurts.
Polly and Alpha staying tucked in, a little camera shy.
more chickens coming soon.
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