This week we needed to create more space for the growing chicks. We decided to put up a larger playground area. Much harder to keep clean and change out the pine shavings, but they have a lot of room and we’ll have less issues if water spills. We also picked up the newer style of watering container. So far it’s much better than any of our previous hanging or sitting on the ground options. Much less spillage and easier to keep clean.
We’ve been giving the chicks a sandbox for a couple of weeks now. It started as a plate of sand to play in – and then we graduated to some boxes. They sure are cute “fluffing” the sand all up in their feathers and really seem to enjoy the process. We have plans of tires full of “dust bath” material for the chickens in their new coop.
The chicks haven’t been able to look out the window yet either in their large metal watering trough they lived in for the last couple of weeks. This larger pen is next to the windows, so we added boards on the sill for roosting if they choose as well as a ladder (it was a couple of treads short the first time), so they can climb up and down if they choose to. A few of them like the view to the outside world. Big Bird and Melba also like to roost on the ladder.
We’ve kept the red light on to keep them warm. They are now on the floor indoors, it can get a bit of cold air especially when the door opens. Our outside temps are in the teens and twenties this week, so even though they are old enough to start weaning off the light, it’s beneficial to have it there.
We’ve used 4×4 timbers for their practice roosts. On the smaller sections we have there can be 4-5 chicks lined up comfortably on each board, and they don’t rock or rotate when one jumps on or off. They have started sleeping on them (though some have not). They all seem to enjoy them from time to time.
Setting up the new pen was a group activity. The goldens sure seemed to enjoy it!
