Blending the Flock

The three Cuckoo Maran chicks that we bought five weeks ago have been living in a brooder, in the hen house.  The brooder is large and airy so the chicks can see out -- and the hens and roosters see in -- but no one can get harassed.  After five weeks together, the hens are rather bored with the chicks who have been growing steadily and now have all of their feathers.  It was getting a bit crowded in the brooder for them -- and I felt badly that they couldn't get outside the hen house to enjoy the bits of breeze that occur (infrequently) on the hot days we've been having.

Saturday afternoon, Brett and I hauled the brooder, with its occupants, out of the hen house and into the chicken yard.  We left them there for a few hours (in the shade) to look around from the safety of the brooder.  The rest of the flock came over to investigate.

Oh, it's just you three.  We thought it might be something interesting.  Later.

Brett and I brought a couple of chairs into the chicken run so we could watch the fireworks, and then we let the chicks out.  We watched.  The hens scratched in the dirt.  The roosters strutted around. Brett dozed off.

Mission accomplished.  Now we will wait for eggs (fingers crossed that all three are hens).  Cuckoo Marans  lay chocolate colored eggs.  Sometimes dark chocolate eggs.  They are also a very pretty chicken; resembling Barred Rocks but with less distinct lines.

Not one of ours -- who are still gangly teenagers.