Snow Paths

Over the last few days we have gotten about 5 inches of snow with a little coating of ice.  The chickens don't care much for the snow ( we'll have to talk to them about that...my chickens not liking the snow...unheard of!)  I have trudged back and forth all over the back yard from the rabbits to the chickens and back over and over again.  There is a little highway of paths out there.  When I come in because I am so out of shape I am huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon.  So yesterday Mark got the snow blower and  made some paths.  Love them and so do some of the girls.

 

Some still fly from place to place to avoid stepping in the snow.  Crispy is one of those kids of girls...wimpy.

Ellis and I put some of the good stuff in the middle of one of the paths to entice them into coming out.

We had a little chicken parade.

Sometimes the heavier chickens (Esthelle) fall through the snow and need a little help getting out.

Inez doesn't seem to mind the cold at all.

EffieGrace on the other hand is not a fan!

Ellis and his chicken.  He named her and he is always checking on her.

Not many people can hold Ethel.  She is a shy one and a hard one to catch.  But this good chicken wrangler can catch her most of the time.

 

Spa Day For Some Of The Girls

You are going to think I am even crazier than before....if that is possible. 

It was brought to my attention that a few of the girls personal hygiene practices aren't as good as they should be.  I've been watching their backsides to see if maybe they would take care of the embarrassing situation.  Nope, the girls don't care one bit.

 

Today was the day to clean those dirty chicken butts.

 

Everyone was given a chore.  Alaire was the rinse/towel wrapper/drier.

Emmy was in charge of drying.

Michael was the chicken wrangler while Ellis was the catcher.  Susie was the first customer at the chicken spa.

Alaire doing a bag up job!

Emmy was cracking me up.  She was pulling one of my acts...gaging all over the place.

A little bit of B&W ointment on the frostbitten combs.  Alaire asked when we were going to paint their toenails.

EffieGrace was second for her treatment.

I thought Emmy was actually going to hurl!  Tears in her eyes and everything.

We saved Keithetta Renetta for last because she was way worse than the other two combined.

 

We covered the couch and chair with towels just in case we had an escapee.  We even blocked off the hallway and closed the bathroom door.  In the end the girls were very well behaved.  And we checked on Susie's bumblefoot and it is healing up on its own...no surgery needed that heavens.  Don't think Emmy would have been up for that one.

While I am cleaning up our mess, Ellis comes to me to ask if I have ever been able to catch a chicken with one hand.  Nope, I don't think so.  Well, just so you know, he can!

 

Fun Time With The Girls and Ellis

I can always, always count on Ellis to help me with the girls.  He loves them as much as I do.  I think he needs a chicken or two.  I've been trying to give them some different things so they can build up an extra thick layer of fat to keep them warm during the winter.  They are not to keen on noodles.

But they do love to scratch.  I'm thinking this spring the plants are going to need to toughen up to survive.  Sunny love to back up against the tree and scratch right at the base.

Crispy just love a good run around the yard.

Keithetta doesn't look like she needs anything else to eat.  She really isn't that big just fluffing.

Love those feathers.

Ethel is the hardest one to catch.

Pappy sure won't want this happening in the spring.

They have figured out where the treats come from.

 Dixie and Crispy

Sunny's favorite spot to scratch...right in the middle of the hosta bed.

Ethel and Esthel just hanging out together.

Inez looking foe seeds.

Dory just blending in.

EffieGrace is on guard duty.

 

Ellis even knows where the chicken treats are.

And they come running to be the first.

I got this seed Christmas tree for Christmas from Doodles and Noodles.  I hung it on the ladder to give them something fun to do.  They are a little scared of it.  But in time they will love it I am sure.

Love, Love, Love this!