Good Night, Sleep Tight (Wednesday, Sept. 15)

I went out at 7:45 the other night to finish up evening chores and thought, "What a beautiful view!  What a privilege to look out at this from your front door."  And who is it that enjoys this view?

The chicks!  I told you we wanted to give them a good life!  :)

We come out every evening to turn on the brooder light and make sure they still have some food left for the night.

(Now that we've been moving their tractor for a week, you can see the path they've grazed.)

Once the light is turned on, the chicks begin to drift toward the warmth of the brooder box--either inside or on top!

After the chicks are settled, it's time to shut up the big chickens.  At dusk they go up the ramp, hop on their roosts, and wait for me to come shut the door.  Once in awhile an errant chicken wants to stay out late, but all I have to do is move toward her and shoo her up the ramp.  They know when it's time for bed!

Finally it's time to feed Rascal and Sterling who have been meowing all through evening chores because their food got put away early in the day when the chickens were let out.  (If we ever forget to put away the cat food, the chickens eat it!)

Twenty minutes later the chores are done and everyone's tucked in bed as I head for the house and Sterling heads out for a hunt.  In a few minutes the security lights will go out and everyone will sleep tight.