As a mom of four, I am used to the demands, worries, and joys of parenting. The after-work hours revolve around the needs of the kids: softball games, track meets, playdates, etc. Unbeknownst to me, the addition of our chicks would make me the mother of 22!
Having these 18 fluffy, then feathered, babies in our lives has multiplied my mom concerns. Did they still need their heat lamp? Would there be enough food in each bin while we were at work for the day?
In the past five weeks, I have watched my eighteen babies grow from downy infants to fully feathered medium-sized chicks. Growing as they have, they eat much more now, which means much dirtier and crowded bins. With nice weather here, day and night, I have decided it is time to relocate the chicks.
Saturday afternoon was their trial run. With a cloudless sky and temperatures in the low 80s, I placed them in their outdoor pen for several hours. They were content to peck and relax outside. Of course, being a mom, I couldn’t let them just stay out overnight. They needed to transition slowly, so they returned indoors for the night.
However, by Monday, I was ready to move my babies closer to their outdoor world. They spent a good part of the afternoon outside until a fierce thunderstorm arrived. I couldn’t let the 18 chicks spend their first night in their coop listening to rain hammering on the roof and thunder shaking the walls. So, as an intermediate step, I placed their bins in the garage.
And so, the weather pattern has continued. Nice days with chicks outside and rainy nights with chicks in the garage. The living room is silent as I work here in the evening, which reminds me of parenting children. You relish the quiet moments alone but wonder what they are doing while they are away.
Miracle Girl
A Blonde
