Day 108

Even though we had only just started raising chickens, I couldn't help myself and was quick to say yes when offered to adopt a whole flock of birds from our friends. I’ve been known to have a hard time saying no and sometimes getting in a bit over my head. I like to think of it as an energetic enthusiasm to  try new things. Others may call it foolish immaturity. Either way, we were getting new birds.

I am sure our friends were starting to lose hope that we would actually take their chickens as it seemed our projects were pushed back and slowed down by a variety of factors. But all that changed when I was able to send them the message that the outdoor yard was done and we were ready.

We did create a temporary shelter of snow fencing inside the barn as our research taught us. We needed to separate the new birds from the old ones for a few weeks so they could get used to each other. We would put the new girls in the main coops with direct access to the new yard while our old girls would have a smaller pen inside the barn and an even smaller outdoor space.

At least that was the plan.

It took a few trips over a few evenings but our friends delivered around forty new chickens to us via rubber storage tote. They quickly got used to their new environment and made themselves right at home. There was definitely some curiosity when they saw and heard chickens they did not know. We wanted to play it safe so we made sure the girls were separated as best as possible.

Either our original ten chickens were crafty and wise or our temporary holding pen was not up to par. I vote for the latter. The girls easily maneuvered around and over the snow fencing and gave themselves complete access to the barn. Luckily, they mainly kept their mess (and eggs) to one of the stalls on the opposite side of the coops. They still didn't have direct access to the new girls despite their best attempts to reclaim their old home.