Chicken Ecology

It has been fascinating watching the chicks adapt to their new environment and the other nearby animals that are flocking to our backyard.

Chickens are not too smart. K had been working hard to get them to understand the ramp system from the run to the elevated coop. After about 5 days, I now feel comfortable enough to leave the food upstairs and the water downstairs - and know that they will not starve to death. They are currently sleeping at night in the nesting box - and not on one of the two supplied roosting poles.

On day 2, K gave them a worm. Instinctively they went for it. They were very excited. Funny to think that was the first time they saw a worm and knew what to do with it.

Predators --- Within 48 hours of having the chicks, we now have two cats that stake our backyard at night; a raccoon which is trying to make a new home in our roof; and a chicken hawk who we hear every day and lives 1 block away. I may start praying to prevent the chicken hawk from swooping down and snatching one of the chicks from our backyard while K is playing with it.