Day 76

While the indoor coop was being created, the girls were getting a bit too big for our garage. That size issue, along with the sunnier, warmer days of spring, motivated us to get the girls outside. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough experience to just let the girls find their own way to the outside yard, so we decided to transfer them via rubbermaid box to the fenced-in chicken catastrophe we constructed as a temporary outdoor enclosure. On the side of our fenced in yard, we built an offshoot with old fence panels from an outdoor dog kennel. We also used pieces of snow fencing and zip-tied them together to create a roof to keep the birds in their pen. Aesthetically, it was by no means pleasing, but we hoped it was at least functional for the short time we had hoped to use it.

The daily parade of running rubbermaid boxes of chickens to the barn was probably stressful  for the girls, but over time, it became a quicker and cleaner transfer.

We enjoyed watching them scratch the ground in search of snacks. When we found worms, grubs, or other critters, we made sure to toss them in and enjoy the show.

Unfortunately, I built this contraption without taking into account the required daily visits to fill water, add food, and hopefully, sooner than later collect eggs. We tried to help this by placing the food and drink near the entrance and zip-tying old milk crates to the fence. Still, the kids had a much easier time navigating the low roof, so much to their chagrin, crouching and crawling through this makeshift chicken yard became part of their responsibilities. 

But while this work was at times stressful and overwhelming, we felt encouraged when our not so little chickens started laying eggs. Whale collecting eggs became a daily chore, knowing our girls were happy and healthy and doing what came naturally to them provided us comfort that we were on the right path.

It also motivated us to get the rest of the coop constructed and ready to go as soon as possible.