diff --git a/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_first_ready.py b/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_first_ready.py
index 2c6e0afb4..68b17a82a 100644
--- a/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_first_ready.py
+++ b/src/registrar/management/commands/populate_first_ready.py
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     help = "Loops through each valid Domain object and updates its first_created value"
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.to_update: List[Domain] = []
+        self.failed_to_update: List[Domain] = []
+        self.skipped: List[Domain] = []
+
     def add_arguments(self, parser):
         """Adds command line arguments"""
         parser.add_argument("--debug", action=argparse.BooleanOptionalAction)
@@ -19,14 +25,10 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     def handle(self, **kwargs):
         """Loops through each valid Domain object and updates its first_created value"""
         debug = kwargs.get("debug")
+        # Get all valid domains
         valid_states = [Domain.State.READY, Domain.State.ON_HOLD, Domain.State.DELETED]
         domains = Domain.objects.filter(first_ready=None, state__in=valid_states)
 
-        # Keep track of what we want to update, what failed, and what was skipped
-        to_update: List[Domain] = []
-        failed_to_update: List[Domain] = []
-        skipped: List[Domain] = []
-
         # Code execution will stop here if the user prompts "N"
         TerminalHelper.prompt_for_execution(
             system_exit_on_terminate=True,
@@ -40,18 +42,34 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
         for domain in domains:
             try:
-                update_first_ready_for_domain(domain, debug)
+                self.update_first_ready_for_domain(domain, debug)
             except Exception as err:
-                failed_to_update.append(domain)
+                self.failed_to_update.append(domain)
                 logger.error(err)
                 logger.error(
                     f"{TerminalColors.FAIL}"
                     f"Failed to update {domain}"
                     f"{TerminalColors.ENDC}"
                 )
-        ScriptDataHelper.bulk_update_fields(Domain, to_update, ["first_ready"])
+        
+        # Do a bulk update on all fields
+        ScriptDataHelper.bulk_update_fields(Domain, self.to_update, ["first_ready"])
 
         # Log what happened
         TerminalHelper.log_script_run_summary(
-            to_update, failed_to_update, skipped, debug
+            self.to_update, self.failed_to_update, self.skipped, debug
         )
+
+    def update_first_ready_for_domain(self, domain: Domain, debug: bool):
+        """Grabs the created_at field and associates it with the first_ready column.
+        Appends the result to the to_update list."""
+        created_at = domain.created_at
+        if created_at is not None:
+            domain.first_ready = domain.created_at
+            self.to_update.append(domain)
+            if debug:
+                logger.info(f"Updating {domain}")
+        else:
+            self.skipped.append(domain)
+            if debug:
+                logger.warning(f"Skipped updating {domain}")
\ No newline at end of file