A few people have asked how the chicken transition is going, so I thought I’d give you all a brief update.
You’ll remember from the last post that the introduction of my chickens to the winter quarters in the pig barn did not go very well. There was some pecking, and within five minutes, all of my brother-in-law’s chickens were out in the cold, roosting in a pine tree. Steve got on the case immediately, finding a way to spit the current pen, which used to be a large bay in the pig barn back when this was a monastery pig farm owned by the monastery.
But by evening, actually, the chickens had settled down. My five girls are definitely early to bed, a habit formed by their summer lodgings, which are small and encourage chickens to get inside and on the perch at the first sign of dusk. The barn is even darker, so by 4:30 p.m. Thursday they were up on the perch. When I visited the barn Friday, everybody was settled in. Steve had built a little platform over one of the troughs and put in a door to access the pen. The bay next to the chickens is where he stores lumber for furniture-making, so the entrance is down a cozy tunnel of wood.
But the urgency drained from the project as the chickens calmed down.
Also, with the winds done, despite a high of 27 degrees, Steve and Jeff got back on the more urgent project, the greenhouse, which just needed a few more panels (and still needs the cap on top and the drapes on the bottom). The gale winds of the blizzard made him worry the whole thing could be picked up by wind and sent aloft over the prairie.
And now the holiday season has begun, with almost daily airport pick-ups and busyness. However, my brother-in-law would still feel better with the space partitioned, so he’s going to put in the middle wall today and finish off the space. There’s ample room for all the chickens, and no doubt they’ll be happier in their own condo!
The front door to the pen is right by the main entrance to the barn.
The red chickens, their door, their window (by which they access an outdoor pen), and the prized roosting boxes.
My chickens with their window and the prized corner perch. They’ll be back to the cat roosting box.