Stepping Out With Chickens

I know that chickens pecking at a wall has to be some kind of metaphor for something big and important, but I can't think of what. On a more literal level, they're literally pecking the wall. The concrete blocks are very soft and easily broken, so the chicks are filling their crops with grit.

We offered the chickens some compost, but as you can see from this barred rock's reaction, it wasn't the instant culinary success we'd hoped for. They picked out the red bell peppers and stomped most of the rest into the shavings.

And here are chickies having their dirt baths. It's a popular passtime for them, flopping around in the dirt like someone having a seizure. They kick their legs and flap their wings, sending a shower of dirt up over their backs. They they roll around and just lay there for a while, basking in the ecstatic glow of being covered with dirt.

These pictures were taken two weeks ago. In the meantime, they're even bigger and more chicken-y looking. Moer photos to come.