The Chicks Have An Exciting Day

Well, no one died, so the first problem doesn't qualify as a disaster, but it was a mess!  When I went to change the water, the lid came unscrewed as I lifted it and water spilled all over the cardboard box.  The box was ruined, and I had to find a new spot for the chicks fast.  Luckily, Nathaniel made nesting boxes Thursday evening, so I modified them while the chicks chirped in terror from a smaller cardboard box.  Finally, we got them into their new temporary home:

Later in the day, the kids and I decided to let them have some time outside.  Elijah took these shots:

I'm not sure if you can tell in any of the pictures, but some of the chicks now have tail feathers.  They've definately changed since Monday when we got them!  The kids had a blast finding worms and roly-polys to feed to the chicks.  The chicks sure loved it, too. 

Looking for bugs.

Lydia kept scooping up the chicks, even though I told her to pet them, not pick them up.  She just can't seem to help herself.  Luckily, she's actually very gentle with them and picks them up right.  The boys are leery of actually picking up the chicks; they prefer to pet softly.  When I transferred the chicks back to the brooder, one was temporarily misplaced, but we soon found her and all 12 made it back inside.