After a last-minute security measure was added to the top of the chicken yard (to make sure no hawks could swoop down and pluck up my babies!), I finally felt comfortable enough to…..





…..open this door!





At first, they weren’t so sure they were ready for this door to be open. They had to stand around in the doorway and look.





And look.





And talk about it.





Then out they came….





….and came…..





….and came. Look at my big, beautiful six-week-old chickens now!





They are a long way from full-grown and laying eggs, but they are also a long way from those eggs I turned for three weeks in my incubator. (That’s Lucky, our miracle baby, on the far right–the white and black hen.)





This gorgeous chicken was once the tiny baby I helped out of its shell.





They are all so different, and so amazingly beautiful. I love having such a wide mix of colors. I think this pretty one is another rooster.





This is the macho rooster who is learning to crow. He sounds like a hoarse cow. I’d tell him that, but he might get mad. He looks a little temperamental. And speaking of temperamental…..





That crazy Spartacus-the-psycho-chick! I knew the littlest banty, the hen, was too little, so after I let them all out, I scooped her up and put her back. I was hoping Spartacus, my banty rooster, was big enough, but oh no, he slipped through the fence and the chase was on. I put my camera down and had a panic attack while Princess saved the day and captured him in the woods.





He and his banty hen were none too pleased to find themselves back in the chicken house while the rest of the family was outside cavorting.





“Prepare to die.”

Oh my, did they ever not want to come out of that box….. I had the kids load up the chicks while I manned the box in which they would make their trip to the chicken house. The kids chased them around the brooder–and my office–for several minutes while I was in charge of opening the box lid just enough for them to stick each chick inside one at a time, working to keep the ones already inside from jumping back out. Then I carried the wriggling box to the chicken house. We decided, for the first few days, to keep them inside the chicken house. We’ll let them out into the chicken yard soon, but to start with, it’s enough for them to get settled in the house itself and learn that it is where they sleep.





Once in the chicken house, box lid removed, they lifted their heads….





And started looking around….





“What’s out there? Where are we?”





They sent a scout on a reconnaissance mission.





She turned back to report. “Dudes, it’s huge. And the straw! I’ve never seen so much straw! It’s the land of milk and honey and bugs!”





Then she could wait no longer for her leery brooder-mates. “Mine!” she declared. ‘It’s all mine!”





Well, they couldn’t have that, so out they came, sticking together at first for security.





Then they started spreading out, exploring….





Scratching and pecking. “It’s true! It’s the land of milk and honey and bugs!”





And there they are, all moved into the chicken house. Settling in. Enjoying their first taste of the semi-outdoors. My babies are growing up.





I hope that they remember to brush their teeth and that they don’t stay up too late at night. And that they won’t mind if I call ten times a day.