Project Flock Integration has Commenced - Code Name: Peepers

The babies are almost 6 weeks old and I felt it was time to fully integrate them with Coco and Poppy.

I've had the Peeps out in the garden free ranging with the big girls since they they were two weeks old.  And that was going great.  I evicted them from the garage two and a half weeks ago to the big girls run, but separated by fence panels, so they couldn't get at each other.  But they were getting frustrated by being penned up and clearly want more real estate to roam.

Coco is very chill.  She welcomed the Peeps almost from the beginning.  Poppy is a bit more high strung and I was more worried about how she would react.  But I couldn't have been more pleased.

I started the day by letting everyone out into the big garden while I cleaned both coops, scrubbed all the waterers, filled the feeders and turned over some of the soil in their run.  I also moved some logs around to make things seem different and interesting to everyone to hopefully keep them distracted.

As soon as I put everyone into the run, they all set about having a big dust bath.

Coco and Poppy taking a big dust bath together.  They must have been in there for nearly an hour.

The babies found their own corner to have a nice dust bath.

Here's a wider shot of the run.  I did leave up a few fence panels just to give the babies something to hide behind in case Coco or Poppy decided to chase or stalk them.  But I really didn't see any of that going on today.

I put out every waterer and feeder I have to give everyone a place to eat and drink with out having to be near someone that might want to peck at them.

I found it interesting how Coco and Poppy spent much of the day hanging in the area that was sectioned off for the Peeps. And the Peeps spent their time exploring the big girls side of the run. 

We checked up on them often to make sure everyone was doing okay.  The Peeps love getting tummy tickles.

Peaches loved napping in the sun up on a cinder block.  I don't know what's going on with her feathers but her bustle feathers are growing in straight up in the air.  We've started calling her Peach Fuzz.

The Peeps do EVERYTHING together.  They move around the run like one giant chicken.  I guess it's true what they say, safety in numbers.

Coco and Poppy INSIST on eating from the Peeps feeder no matter how many times I tell them, "It's the same feed silly hens!"

All in all I'd say today was a huge success.  I'm not going to relax just yet.  It's almost bedtime and I'll go make sure everyone goes to sleep in the right coop.  And tomorrow is yet another day.  But if all goes as well as today did, I should be able to start to relax a bit.