Free ranging

The chicks spent their third week learning all about the great outdoors.

After living their entire lives in a strict temperature-controlled indoor environment, we decided that it was time to give them some fresh air and much-needed fun time, chicken-style.

This spring, I had planted a mini-meadow of sorts in what is now intended to be the chicken yard.

We set up the play pen and let them peck around and poop with abandon.

At first they weren’t sure quite what to make of their new environs. They sat on us quite a lot.

Soon, they felt secure enough to explore. I think you can see in the photos how much happier they are out of doors.

Beyoncé was all smiles. Actually, she makes all sorts of funny faces in general. She’s our most expressive chick.

Ultra close up.

She’s not panting, just sitting with her mouth open. Waiting for a bug to come by, perhaps?

The young’uns are pretty flexible.

She’s very dinosaurish.

I set the camera up at their level and got some cute shots. There were many, many moons.

We’ve noticed this week that our darker girls, Beyoncé and Glory, are getting feathers much faster than their sisters. The two blondies are still just working on their wings. They have little shoulder blade tuft is that we call angel wings.

They are all starting to develop tiny combs.

Glory looks fuzzy here, but you’ll see in the following photos that her body feathers are really coming in. She’s entering that awkward teenage phase.

After a few days, we expanded their world to our front yard. They were right at home in my vegetable beds. Nobody seemed interested in the actual vegetables, but having all those plants to hide under and straw to peck at made their fuzzy little hearts quite content.

So all in all, it was a wonderful week of exploration for these girls.

Honey’s been getting up early in the morning with me these days. I think that makes her extra tired in the afternoons.

What’s better than an afternoon nap in the meadow?

An afternoon nap in the meadow with your sister, that’s what.

Happy three weeks old to our chickies!