Keet's day out!

I was brought out mid-morning to check on the birds because the guineas were putting on an almighty hollering.The cause?  The guinea chick was outdoors for the first time, having made that big hop up to go through the chicken door!  The guineas were all worked up about it (they're so familial).  This is the outSIDE!  This is GRASS! (sort of).  The chick is the lone survivor of  a few hatched outdoors, so it may remember "outside", but it seems it was a big guinea moment nonetheless. Right away the chick slipped through the fence. Here the hens are drawing attention to it- It's over here!, and it's barely detectable right by that fence post. Mom came running in, and the chick climbed back in just as easily.The hen yard is already kind of grim, after freezing, being hammered by rain, and scratched up well.  The chickens loooooove that pine tree through.   They all cluster up under it for most of the day.This is the Colonel's flock of girls  - it's a very large flock, and they group under the pine day all day for a long, relaxed grooming meditation, and often a good perch.  Usually there are 2-5 hens perching in the tree at any time.   I pruned it out for them hoping they'd enjoy it, so it's very gratifying to have them enjoy it so completely.