And now, the day everyone has been waiting for: MOVE IN DAY! All of the finishing touches were in place. Surprisingly, everything went off without a hitch. No loose hens running around with Meyer Hatchery employees chasing in hot pursuit.
First, we had to gather the flocks from surrounding farms where we brood the chicks until they’re through adolescence. Here are a couple of our breeder hens waiting to be placed in their new home. Can you guess the breed?

Each bird was caught by hand, placed in the cart, and then unloaded at the new farm. All of this had to be done very quickly so we didn’t stress them out or leave them hungry. Our chicken catchers did an awesome job!

Pictured below are Barb and Rick making sure each breed is properly identified and placed in the correct pen. When the chicks are brooded, they are not separated by breed, rather they get to enjoy one another’s company until we depend on them to lay eggs that produce quality chicks, true to that specific breed.

One by one the birds were placed in their pen.

Walking along observing the day’s festivities, we caught an Easter Egger dust bathing in the fresh bedding.

This handsome guy doesn’t seem to mind his new digs! Look at him posing.

The Silver Gray Dorkings kept a close eye on us! Each breed truly has its own personality.

After a long day, the flocks settled in quite well. Check out our Blue Splash Marans Flock in action on move-in day. In our next post, we’ll take you through a day in the life of Carol, our Breeder Flock Eggstraordinaire; from collecting eggs, to feeding time we’ll reveal it all. Stay tuned! In the meantime, tell us about moving your flock from the brooder to their coop in the comments below!

Check out all the progress of our breeder barn build, here!

Breeder Barn – Part 1 (Building a Breeder Barn)

Breeder Barn – Part 2 (Coming to Life)

Breeder Barn – Part 3 (Raise the Roof)

Breeder Barn – Part 4 (Rain Rain Go Away)

Breeder Barn – Part 5 (On a Roll)

Breeder Barn – Part 6 (Sunny Side Up)

Breeder Barn – Part 7 (Interior Design)

Breeder Barn – Part 8 (Divide and Conquer)

Breeder Barn – Part 9 (Move-in Day)