Moving Day

Jon and Dale finished building the chicken tractor last weekend.

Doesn't this look like a delightful condo?

We decided to push it onto the back lawn for a while so the girls could spend their first few days/weeks outside close to home before moving to the farm field across the street.  We also temporarily installed the light to add some warmth for the first few nights outside.

A view of the interior taken from the side window.

And next it was time to install the girls!  A week ago today they made their big move!  One last ride in a cardboard box and then...


Welcome to your new home!  The girls were certainly curious and probably a little apprehensive.  There was a great deal of standing still and staring at first.  Slowly they began to explore their new surroundings.

We all had fun watching them explore.

After we stared at them staring at us for a while, I climbed in to show them the door to their new coop.

The ramp was a little tricky at first.

Every time I put someone inside, she popped right back out.  Then two girls stopped on the ramp, sat down, and would not budge.

Eventually, as the evening grew cool, we decided to put them in and lock 'em up for the night.  They seemed content with their new living quarters.

For the first part of the week, we locked them in at night with their light on (it was VERY cold here at night).  As the week has progressed, Jon has begun leaving the light off.  

Their first few days were quite windy, and the girls did not seem to like that, so they stayed inside a lot.

Then it got cool and rainy.  Welcome to the great outdoors!   But even the inclement weather does not seem to phase them much now.  I just got home and found them outside in the mist, happily pecking away at whatever lies beneath the blades of grass.  

It is such a treat to come home from work and say hi to the girls.  They respond when people come by!  

Welcome home, ladies!