Again. These poor chicks. It is for their benefit, and they don’t seem to mind. I do try and introduce small changes in increments so it doesn’t blow their little birdie minds completely.

This time I changed the food hanger into a roost. A couple chicks were flying up there anyway, so I hung the food and water over a little bit (that didn’t phase them long), and then lowered the 2x4s down to about 18″. The next project is to build a proper roost, with a method for collecting droppings. The real roost will go in the same place, and only be a little higher, so should ease that transition.

Since I didn’t need the brooder table I made (since I built a cabinet in the coop instead), I have been using it as a work table. It is really nice because I made it counter height. The shelf is for nest boxes (when I get around to making them, it is on the list), but now that the chicks have access to nearly the whole coop and are flying higher, I needed a solution for the table top where I could use it, but the chicks couldn’t.

So I built a roof for my table. The siding is at a 45 degree angle so the chickens can’t perch on it, and are on hinges so I can open it. The sides are covered in chicken wire to also help keep the chicks out of it.

I can prop it open it to have access to the top for weighing chicks and tending wounds, but can close it so I won’t find poop deposits there.

And, just because, here is a video of chicks eating cucumber.

The chicks were able to go out their door for the first time!

We have wire up almost all the way around the runs, and the main doors are in and latched. It is enough complete that we felt OK letting the chicks use their own door. (They are getting heavier and harder to carry outside!) The door we bought opens when the sun comes out and closes when it gets dark, but we are not ready for that yet, so I just propped it open today.

We stayed with the chicks, because the top of the runs is still open. Hawks and cats could still get in.

Sophie, our outside cat, saw the chicks out today, but now there is wire between them! Yay!

My husband and eldest started putting up wire around the runs!

We are using 1/4″ hardware cloth along the bottom to keep smaller critters out, but along the upper sides and top we are using larger fencing because of cost.

There is still lots to do before the chickens have free run of the place, but we are getting there!