They're out!

Friday morning, it was obvious that the girls were ready; ready to be out on their own.  I took the day off to do some work in the yard and get ready for Easter and this is what it looked like when I opened the brooder box to clean it. 

Rosie is such a ham.  She's front and center in every photo.  They were eyeing the outdoors right away.

They spent the whole day in the back yard with us and it became apparent that they were doing a fine job of foraging for food on their own, staying warm, staying safe, and staying together.  We had the preschoolers from next door over to show them the growth of the chicks and to educate them a little on composting and growing your own food.  Wish we had photos of the field trip.  It was a nice experience.  When I opened the bottom of the compost bin they gobbled up the grubs, worms, ants, slugs, and even black widows as quick as you could say "ewww."  It became apparent quickly who were the dominant chickens in the group.  They each played their own part in snatching up the bugs. 

They found their favorite spot behind the shed near the wood pile and stayed there much of the day.  They also liked the cleaned out garden awaiting the new vegetables and under the artichoke plant where I unburied my tarragon plant from last summer (the highlight of my weekend!). 

This is Rosie and Cleo in the wood pile area of the yard chasing each other.

 They attacked the area under my oregano from last summer!

I'm so happy to have the girls out of the house at night, but it does bring a new level of anxiety about their nights outdoors.  Is their coop secure?  Can a raccoon burrow under the run?  When was the last time I saw a raccoon in the neighborhood? 

For now I must just enjoy the time with them and not worry about what could happen.  I'll continue to revel in the fact that they're devouring my snails and slugs.