A video of me opening the chicken door and letting the flock out this morning. The most senior hens come out first. The bulk of the flock starts to trickle out until the Big Guy comes out then the hens pour out. No. 2 comes out with his girls toward the end of the video. The youngest hens hesitate in the door and No. 3 never makes it out in this video. He always sneaks out once everyone else is out and gathers up his small group of young hens.

The wood, fence, and plastic sheet structure you see here is an aluminum awning with wood walls we use to give the birds outdoor space sheltered from rain and show. It doubles the floor space of the main house.

They have a large, outdoor yard with a thick layer of wood chips for them to dig in and a 5’ chain link fence. The fence keeps them out of the gardens and conflict with my wife and protects them from daytime predators. It also meets out obligations under the biosecurity regulations during the time of the bird flu outbreak.

These are working birds, livestock, not pets.