What a day!  Five loads of laundry, tore apart three pallets to use the wood, built a chicken tractor.  So busy.  Our chicks are getting too big to be in their box in the garage all the time, but not feathered enough to be outside all night in MI either.  Still cold at night.  We made a chicken tractor today so they can be out during the day.  I have been taking them outside for an hour or so every day, but they are getting too hard to catch.  Time for a portable coop.

                      

We took apart some pallets and used the wood to make a frame.  Some one gave us some chain link fence, so we used that for the walls.  A few double-pointed tacks, some zip ties, and  a blue tarp and we have a portable coop they can be outside in for a few hours.  Soon it will be time to make the permanent coop.  More chain link fence will be involved and a couple of wooden crates I salvaged from work.  The injection molds we use are made in CA and shipped to us in large wooden crates.  Perfect for chickens.  There is a place here in MI that makes lids with perches molded on them that fit 5 gallon pails to use as nesting boxes.  With only 7 chickens three nesting boxes are plenty.  I got the pails at work too.     

The girls really enjoyed their time outside today.  It was nice to not have to chase them to get them back in.  We did forget all about a door.  LOL  We'll work on that tomorrow.