Poor Peeps!!

     I had planned on writing a post today about the Peeps as we are in the process of building a "half-way" house for them. They are getting bigger by the hour it seems and they really need more room than their current lodgings provide. I never expected the Peep's first night outside would be traumatizing!

     This past week has been so nice here in Florida I've dragged their crate outside. They really seem to enjoy stretching out in the sun and digging/scratching in the earth. It is funny when a plane goes over to watch them all turn their heads trying to see what is making the noise. The downside of that daily activity is the huge mess it makes. Dog crates were not meant to hold pine shavings even with the tray inside and screening we put around it. I wind up creating a huge trail of pine shavings that are a pain to clean up and have clogged my vacuum more than once.
      We decided to move the Peeps outside permanently this weekend. They are still too young to go in with the older chickens disregarding the fact there isn't any room for them in that coop. First we considered buying a smaller version of our greenhouse which we would chick-out just for them. But we really didn't want to spend the money on something we wouldn't need once the chicks moved out. After researching and spending way too many hours on BackyardChickens.com the new plan was to convert a small storage shed into a coop with a run.
     The plan was to build their temporary coop on Sunday. Saturday was another beautiful day so I took the Peeps outside as usual. While getting ready for the evening I decided that instead of dragging the crate back inside why not let The Peeps spend their first night outside in their familiar home. We put the crate inside the greenhouse confident they would be safe and warm for the night.
     Just as we were finishing dinner the skies opened up. It wasn't simply raining but pouring outside!! All I could think of was how scared The Peeps were with all that noise. We could see them from the bedroom window thanks to the solar lights I strung inside the greenhouse. Confident they were dry and realizing they had to get used to the sound of the rain we went to bed.
     First thing Sunday morning we go out and check The Peeps. The rain was the least of their worries!! Some carnivorous creature determined to have a chicken dinner ripped into the greenhouse!  The pictures below show the damage.

     Thankfully we did wrap the crate in screening which apparently thwarted any attempts at gathering a chick.  Mother Natured decided not to cooperate with our building plans but there was no  way we were leaving The Peeps in the greenhouse to be traumatized or even worse!  Until we can build their new home they are currently living in the shed.  And yes I did move the solar lights with them.