Friday, December 5, 2008

Vacation Day #3: Day #2 of Free Range Chickens

Did I tell you that I finally made the decision to let the chickens out of their pen? I did. Yesterday. I opened the door and went inside and watched out the window. It took half an hour for them to come out and then they stayed close to the door for hours. they ran in every time something scared them. This is a good thing. It made me realize they felt that the chicken house was Home.

click to enlarge photo
I was worried that they would not go back at night but when I got home at 9pm, all 8 were home and on the roost so I shut the door.






Now I believe I mentioned in another post that these chickens run from me when I come into the hen house like I am the enemy. This always dispointed me. They also didn't have much of an appetite ever since I bought them. They ate just not what I felt they should be.




Well has everything changed today! I went out to the hen house at 10 to let them out. I waited til then just because it was 22 degrees here today. Two were waiting at the door for me...they did walk away when I came in but didn't run. Three were eating the powder at the bottom of their empty food container and complaining loudly that the food was out. So I filled it up and grabbed the water container and walked out proping the door open as I went. They followed me out! All the way to the faucet! This is so cool.

Then I stood there and watched them scratching and pecking and eating the green grass like good little chickens. I don't know what is under the pine needles but what ever it is they sure go after it.

My two cats were out there with me and guess what? They ran over to them....all of them did! Until now when the cats came into the outside part of the chicken house they would freak and run away. Now they were going after the cats! I might add that neither cat cared for this at all. Fat Girl slunk away with her belly along the ground and Flash scrunched up his face and then hissed at Fat Girl as if it where her fault.

I am going out to work on the plum orchard and that old fence now.

3 comments:

Leasmom said...

Thats great that you can free range them...that'll cut down on your feed store bill. I wish I could free range mine but its not allowed.

Carole Burant said...

Guess what I received today??? Yup, your parcel:-) THANK YOU sooo much for the beautiful Christmas stocking and all the goodies inside...love everything!! I took some pictures and will post them on my next blog post:-) Thank you again!! xoxo

Tracy Bruring said...

Oh thank goodness!! I was getting ready to go down to the post office to yell at somebody!