Chick Check, Week Eight (and a half)

Well, technically this was supposed to be a butchering weekend, but it looks like the Cornish will be staying with us at least another week.  Between having to fix the broken fence up by Ms. Melman and the fact that we did some Halloween trick or treating on Sunday, there just wasn't time for it this weekend.  But who knows.  Maybe I'll get ambitious (hungry) and grab me a fat ol' bird and have roast chicken for supper one day this week.

The Barnyard Mutt chicks were doing well, I thought, up until yesterday.  I didn't see one of the black & brown chicks so I did a chick-head-count.  There were only eighteen; there are supposed to be nineteen.   The missing chick had been one of a few that I've noticed being able to flap her way up onto the top of the chicken pen door and I guess she just made a break for it.  I looked around the yard during the day, but didn't find her.   Well, serves me right for not having a full door on the pen.  

During morning chores today, I opened the big gal's chicken door and figured I may as well count them to see if any were missing (it's much easier to count them while they hop one by one out of the coop).  We're supposed to have fourteen birds (thirteen hens and one rooster), and I counted fourteen.  At least none of them were missing.  But right before I turned to go, I heard something in the coop.  I opened the door half-expecting to find a stupid squirrel, but there was the missing black & brown chick!  She must have made her way into the big girl coop before I locked them up at night.  What a good chicken!!

So I suppose it's probably time to let the rest of the Barnyard Mutts out of the chick pen.  I'm always aprehensive of "meet & greet" day between older chickens and the new ones.  It's usually "peck & squawk" day for a good week and I do feel a bit protective of the little ones.  But it has to be done and eventually everyone settles down and chicken life goes on.

Maybe I'll let them out into the big barnyard world tomorrow.  Maybe.