More on the new chicks

Partridge Cochin possibly crossed with d'Uccle

All 13 chicks spent their first night together. In the morning the larger five were picking on the smaller eight, so I separated them, leaving the five in the borrowed growing coop and moving the smalls into my yellow garden wagon. They all seemed much happier being with chicks of their own size. 

Today I rolled out some temporary fencing in a small spot outside my office so the five could get out and scratch and dust in the soil. I opened the fold-down door and they were all out on the ground on their own accord, pretty quickly. I threw in some chick scratch and moved their waterer on the ground and they've been exploring the small patch of garden, under a bamboo plant. After they were clearly comfortable with the space I threw in a couple of biscuits of straw, which they took to immediately, scratching at the sides and climbing around on it. 

It will be a while before the small ones get to go on the ground, but they seem to be doing well in the garden wagon, with a mesh screen on top to keep them in and predators out. I cover the thing with floating row cover at night to protect them from any breeze.

Weather forecast is suggesting thunder and lightening for the next two days, with cooler night temps, so I'll have to make sure the small ones stay warm enough.

It is definitely different having all these chickens that can actually see their surroundings quite well. They are fast too, when going after a fly for example.

The Polish chickens we've had for a year have excellent hearing, but not such great sight on account of their puffy feather heads. It will be several weeks before the five can get put in with the Polish, and them more time still for the small ones to be introduced. It will be an adjustment for not only the chickens, but for the humans too. Good thing both chickens and humans are very adaptable creatures.