Strangers in a strange land

Yesterday we moved the chicks from their big Rubbermaid tub to their new home - a small kiddie pool. They loved it. Well. First they totally panicked, then they loved it.

The little buddies in their new set up - food first, as always.

They are growing really fast! We are under threat of bad weather today or I'd move a little faster to get them set up outside. So they are going to stay in the basement for a couple more days, just in case.

Part of our peep containment - hardware cloth wrapped around the tub.

We really like this set up - we hang a heat lamp from the ceiling, set up the pool just under it, then surround the pool with hardware cloth so they don't jump out.

Directly behind me (in this picture) is the door for this basement room. And directly in back of that door is The Insane Cat Posse - lined up shoulder to shoulder and butt to butt just waiting for one of those little peeps to make a break for it, get a little too close to the door, and then be dragged to their doom by one of the awaiting cats. If we have an especially flippy-flier group we'll even put a towel under the door - just in case. I think Nicholas spent about 4 hours down there yesterday looking under the door and just waiting.

Paper towels - not the best bedding but good enough for now.

Today we'll get some fine pine shavings from the feed store to use as bedding. Those paper towels were just what we had on hand. One key to success with these meat chickens is keeping them as dry as possible. You'd be surprised at how much they splash around in their drinker.

And now I'm heading out for another day of hard labor in the salt mines. I got a lot of planting and clearing done yesterday. We are supposed to get that storm front from Oklahoma this afternoon. Might make for some interesting times.  We shouldn't have such severe storms but I'm going to make it a short day just in case. Then I'm going to batten down the chickens and run inside.

Happy Wednesday everyone - and keep a weather eye to the sky!