Our Chickens – Four Weeks Old

They are feathering out nicely and seem to be happy, healthy and eating a lot more now.  They are getting pretty big too.  We have been giving them bits of bread and produce as treats and they really seem to love it, especially the homemade bread. 

They spend most of the day in the coop running around, chasing each other, dusting and scratching.  Because of the heat we round them up in the early afternoon and return them to their brooder in the garage.  We have a fan set up in there to circulate the air and make sure they have plenty of cold water to drink at all times.  I have a thermometer hanging up in the garage and it has stayed relatively cool in there for them while remaining warm enough at night. 

The chicks get plenty of “lap time” and human interaction each day too.  To say they are loved is an understatement.  Spoiled?  Absolutely!  To most people these are farm animals but to us they are our pets.  We went into this adventure knowing that. 

Even when we raised hens by the dozens we considered them more as pets than egg layers.  We mourned their deaths and were thrilled when we had hatchlings.  There is a chicken graveyard on my parent’s property. 

We had a black lab, trained as a bird dog no less, that became a self appointed chicken herder and egg gatherer.  She was amazing.  When a few of our hens decided to nest their eggs out in the woods she stood guard over them to make sure they were safe until the chicks hatched.  Then she herded them home to the coop.  We had no idea she was doing this until we saw her bring the first group home and then we followed her back into the woods.  Smart dog! 

I am glad my girls are going to get this experience with their own chickens.  I really love how they have taken to the task of caring for them and the concern they show as they check on them throughout the day.  They delight at their new accomplishments like using the new roost, their new feathers, eating lettuce for the first time, etc.  It is every bit as fun for me to watch my girls as it is to watch my chicks.