Day 109

Catching loose chickens isn't always an easy thing. In fact, I think it could be an Olympic event, or at least a great workout routine. Our original ten enjoyed roaming the barn and the newest members of the flock were getting accustomed to their new home. However, the time had come to combine them. 

Two weeks had come and gone since the new chickens arrived. Up to this point, the new outdoor yard was actually made into two separate yards with some metal fencing. One evening, when all the chickens were in for the night, I simply removed that fencing and waited for the next morning.

When the time came, I opened the door to the yard and let the new chickens outside. Then, I ushered the original ten from their temporary enclosure into the main coop and they went outside on their own.

Everything went smoothly. The girls were all peaceful. It was a success.

Yet, information from the time the girls were separated gave us some new tasks to complete.

First off, part of the temporary coop included a stall with a much dustier floor. I decided to turn this into an area the birds would have access to since they really seemed to enjoy taking dust baths in it. This particular stall was at the back of the barn. There wasn't access to the outside from this barn.

Yet.

I decided to create a smaller, lever and pulley style door as another way to get the girls outside without opening the larger door on the west side of the barn, which was prone to chilly drafts and completely vulnerable to the nasty wind gusts. I am certainly not the greatest carpenter, but the door opens and closes easily, so I felt quite accomplished.

In fact, we had accomplished a ton. Adding to our flock was the latest of a series of projects we had worked hard to get completed to improve Craneview on Plainview. Looking forward, there were many other projects in our overall vision of the farm. But maybe, just maybe it was time to take a breather and settle in. It was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.