The chicks have flown....

Not really.... but they have moved out to the semi-finished Fat Bottom Cottage.  First let me say a "HUGE THANK YOU!" to my husband, he has had to complete most of this building with very little help with me because I have a purple cast on my right foot and can only hobble short distances. Count down to June 14th.

The roof is complete with 2 skylights that Darling Hubby added and I must say it looks really nice.  The original plan has changed some what, it was going to be fully enclosed with 2 windows for ventilation but we live in Central Texas and it is already hot here, so the bottom half is boarded and the top is chicken wire. We will work on it more as it gets closer to winter.  The chicks will be in the coop until I get a couple of spots fixed in my main fence area before I let the free-range.

 

We buried 1/2 inch hardware cloth 8 inches under ground all around the perimeter. I would like to see some sneaky predator try to dig in under.  I think I will paint a sign the says "Racoons Welcome" with a big arrow pointing the way.  I am sure to find some predator dead from exhaustion. There is one corner completed with the window, as you can see painting was my job and well...

Once the perimeter was complete we let them run around while we were working, below is a picture of the Guinea Fowl.  I only have 5 now, we lost one after this photo was taken.

Above is a picture of a Ameraucana Pullet peeking out from the brooder to see what I was doing.  I think it is the same pullet below getting ready to take a dirt bath.

Above and below is pictures of them in the cottage with the handy dandy water shelf I made to keep dirt and other particles out. 

I am glad we got to move them out to the cottage because they have tripled in size and the brooders were getting crowded.