Yes, we have baby chickens again. Fun, cute, and – time to get creative.

We started them in the same deep tupperware bin as last time, with newspaper, heat lamp, water, and food.

It’s time to upgrade their accommodations when they are able to roost – literally – outside the box. Cute – but potentially very messy.

We hadn’t run across any large cardboard boxes like we had used last time. And we really felt they could use more space rather than just putting some netting on top of the tupperware. That’s when Scott had the brainstorm of the month. He said: “Let’s put them in the fireplace.”

My gut reaction to this was: ALARM. Fireplace sounds like a dangerous place for pets of any kind. But it did make sense: fireplaces are meant to reflect heat and we could simply burn the dirty paper and woodshavings when we move them outdoors in April.

It is working beautifully. They have lots of room to play, the hot pad under the newspaper and the lamps in the fireplace work well together to keep them warm enough, and the grating is too high for them to jump over. Perhaps the most practical advantage to this new set up is that it is easier to socialize them. They are less freaked out by sounds and movement because they are connected to the world around them (not so life in a box).