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Back in January, we took the plunge into backyard chicken life. Fast-forward a few chaotic, feather-filled months, and our once-fluffy chicks are now full-on tweens with opinions, sass, and an impressive ability to poop. This past month brought a major milestone: the big move from the garage brooder to their outdoor coop. But—as with all things homestead—Mother Nature had other plans.
The Big Move (Sort Of):
We had carefully planned for a spring transition. What we got was snow, freezing nights, and a whole lot of second-guessing. Still, our rapidly-growing birds needed more space. So, into the garage brooder they went—kind of like transitional housing for chickens.
When the weather finally warmed up to over 60 degrees during the day, we celebrated by moving the girls into their coop. Many experienced chicken owners will tell you to move them in the evening, so they wake up in the new coop. I moved them first thing in the morning and they handled it well and still found the hen house to coop up at night. I would not recommend moving later in the day – give your chickens plenty of time to explore their area. They LOVED it. Sunshine! Grass! Bugs! Freedom!
Cue the Spring Storms:
And then—because of course—a windstorm rolled in just two days later. Gale-force winds. Rain. Storm warnings. Perfect chicken weather, right? No.
Rather than stuff our not-so-little ladies back into their garage brooder, we got creative. We tarped the small side of the coop, crossed our fingers, and hoped the garage wall, the giant rhododendron, and the lower yard would protect them. I left plenty of open space for air circulation.
It worked. Every stormy night was followed by a morning of curious, bug-hunting chickens pecking through the wet grass like the little survivors they are.
Where We Are Now:
By the end of this week, our flock will hit 10 weeks old. They’re officially chickens now—no longer the fluffy babies we brought home. The move to the coop went smoother than we expected (giant storm aside). Thanks to the garage phase, they were already familiar with the cold, their waterer and feeder stayed the same, and they’d already had their first taste of soil, bugs, and earthworms.
Lulu Leghorn – Check out Week 3 to see her awkward stage.
Chic-a-corn, an Easter Egger
Other than the big storm, the chickens’ transition to coop has been easy. They had a while to get used to colder temperatures with their extended sojourn in the garage brooder. We exposed them to the soil and earthworms from our yard before moving them into the coop. They have the same water and feeder as before and had problems finding those in the coop.
In a couple of months, we should start seeing some fresh eggs!
Thinking about raising your own suburban chickens? Or have a story of your own spring chicken chaos? Share it in the comments or join my mailing list for more beginner-friendly homestead updates, frugal hacks, and weatherproof wisdom.
They grow up so fast!
Debbie