First Time Out

Last weekend I finally got the chickens' outdoor run set up. It's simply an electric poultry fence, and a couple of pallets set up on cinder blocks for shade/protection from flying predators. The meat chickens are the only birds who are in the proper coop (the layers are still confined to their spacious dog crate), they got to be the first to enjoy the great outdoors.

As I opened the door to the coop, I thought they would naturally be drawn to the sunshine raining onto the coop floor. Not one was curious enough to climb the ramp to see the world that lay beyond the coop door. So, to encourage them, I picked up one of the big boys (SQUAWK!!!!!) and put him in the doorway. And then watched as he sat there. It took a bit of prodding (and a big shove), before he staggered out on to the ramp, proceeded to lose his balance, and flop to the ground, landing with a solid thud. After further thought, I realized that these poor chickens are so big, that they can't walk properly on flat ground, let alone up the ramp (you should have seen the poor things staggering around on the uneven ground once they got outside).

Contemplating the great beyond?

Contemplating how to get down--most chose to lose their balance and fall as a flapping feathery mess...

So, when the meat chickens go outside, they have to caught, lifted (and if I'm lucky I get one that's small enough to get the hands around its body and wings), and nudged through door. And when they need to come in, it's the same process. Fortunately, they aren't fast movers so I can catch them quickly at the end of the day.

Anyways, as cruel as it sounds, I'm ready for these birds to be in my freezer and not in my barn (not only are they really dumb, they're stinky). Next year, I'll make sure they have access to the run at a much younger age so they can get used to walking up and down ramps before they get too big.

Charlie and Jubilee seem to appreciate the chickens as entertainment.