It's been a busy week of studying for AP exams and running around like a chicken with its head cut off (see what I did there?), but I did somehow manage to get coop work done!
Summary
The chicks are growing so fast... I find myself constantly amazed at how much bigger and feathery-er they look every day! They've lost a lot of down, and little feathers have/are emerging instead. It makes them look at little silly, since its an "in between" phase, but they're as cute as ever.
They do a lot of scratching in the bedding, and they're slowly starting to use the roosting poles. On occasion, I see them walk across or sit on one. They also have become more interested in the outside world, trying to peep (heh heh) over the brooder walls. They elongate their necks to look outside and at passing people.
Ray and I managed to get close ups of all five of them the other day, so I've included at least a fraction here. Pictures are the best way to summarize, so check them out.
A little bit of roosting.
Exploring the world of clean bedding!
Some lovely wing feathers on a silver-laced girl, and even some tail ones. She has the most developed feathering. She's also one of the more meek girls--more of a follower than flock leader.
Chick butt!
Wing on a gold-laced girl.
Some pretty golden shoulder feathers.
This one ran up my jacket when I picked her up, and nestled there.
Further adventures of the hiding chick.
She fled my hand when I tried to move her out of my jacket, and ended climbing all the way out to my back.
Photobomb! Curious chicken.
And a very pretty gold-laced wing!
Video treat!
As for the coop, I installed almost all the hardware cloth! Yayyyy!!! I just have to install the piece on the right side under the henhouse and, of course, the pieces in the door (which I have yet to build). Construction's been slow since the chicks arrived, but this is a big step. 2 kayers are necessary, as the hardware cloth comes in 4-foot high rolls. I installed the lower roll, then the upper roll. I had to make sure there were no gaps or especially weak spots a predator or pest could take advantage of. When attaching the cloth with staples, it is a good idea to have the staples span a junction=form a diagonal across two perpendicular wires. This allows the staple to catch more than one point of the hardware cloth, and increases the strength of the attachment.
Left: Tools of the trade--poultry net staples and a trusty hammer. Right: Lower roll installed. Wire cutters (red tool) are good too.
Left: One of the bottom corners, near the cinderblock, where the hardware cloth and chicken wire skirt overlap in a big mess of wire. Right: Both layers after installation at an overlap point.
Reflection
A challenge I had with building was the fact that it's hard to get the wire not to pucker. The hardware cloth often doesn't lie flat against the frame, so it's a struggle to work with sometimes. Luckily, once it nails down, all is well.
This week I was able to observe firsthand how systematic chickens really are. They're busybodies with their own little chicken schedules. Their behavior is pretty predictable--scratching, attempted flight, eating and drinking, and sleeping are all things they tend to do as a group. The flock really is central to their lifestyle--they usually do whatever the rest of the flock is doing. I don't know where the center of command is for this behavior, but a lot of it seems to ebb and flow throughout the day. They'll do one activity, travel throughout the brooder, and move on to the next.
I also really thought about how impossible it would be for me to do this project without help. I nearly always have friends or my sister to help me build or keep the brooder in order (upside: they get to see cute chicks!). While I plan and run and do most of the things, there are tasks that are much faster/easier to execute with company (and less tedious), and there are some building tasks that are absolute two-person jobs. I was going to save acknowledgements until I had completed the coop and gotten the girls moved in, but now is as good a time as ever to thank Ray and Marielle, and any other friends (Mary) and family (Mom and Papa), who have either physically or financially supported me in this project. Thank you!
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