How They Weathered The Storms

The rabbits were all snug in their boxes filled with hay.  Only problem...some days I would have to go out four times to replenish the water bottles because they froze solid.  I was thankful for my little snow plowed paths.  At night I would bring the water bottles in and sit them by the heat vent so they would be thawed and warm by morning.

We ended up putting cones over all the water and food containers to help keep the snow out.  And the water heaters did just great...except for the -30 night.

The Big Girls only have a small place to keep dry other than in the coop so we put a tarp over half the run and added straw for some insulation on the cold ground.  You have to be care their feet don't get frostbite.

Once he paths started to show dirt some of the girls ventured out for some treats...even when it was snowing.  What some of them won't do to get a little extra treat.

Once there were brown patches in the yard they ventured out a little bit further in he yard.  Still they didn't like the feel of the cold wet snow on their feet.

Mark broke out some of his bird suet for them.

One week I had a little extra cash in the egg jar so I splurged and got a big block of treats for them.  They were various leery of that brown block in the middle of the yard.

But once I added a little of their regular treats to the top it became something they all wanted to check out.

Susie

 

Inez

 

Esthelle

 

Inez again

 

Ethel

Susie spreading her wings.

Judy

Sunny

Inez the camera hog

Dixie walking the railroad tie so she doesn't have to step in the snow.

Crispy flying from one brown spot to another.

Susie in her favorite spot.

Chicken foot prints in the snow.

EffieGrace

Ethel looking for Chickie Pa.

And just look who thinks she is Queen of the treats.

The figured out that the ground was softer over by the fence where the snow had melted and they could find worms.

Just to change it up a bit so they don't get bored I put their treats in he little red wagon so they had to do a little work to get something good to eat.

Love those chicken legs.

And once again...

Better move over Susie here comes Keithetta Renetta.

RayJeana just sweeping the yard for worms or anything good to eat.

Some need to stand on tippy toes to get a treat.

Muddy feet

Second in command

Our little want to be mother, Ethel.  She loves to sit on eggs.  They could be hers or others or even the fake eggs in the nesting boxes.

I have already decided that The Girls will be getting their own little ghetto pool for the hot days of summer.

She doesn't like muddy feet.  I don't either because they get the eggs all dirty when they go in the nesting boxes with mud on their feet.

Just a little refreshing drink.  Today I added the water from cooking last night.  So they had some broccoli/pasta water.  I'd say my girls are just a little spoiled.  But the way I have it figured if they supply me with all the eggs I could possibly want and use, they should be rewarded for all their hard work.

We Are Both Dreaming Of The Same Things...

CHICKENS

 

I got a new book to add to my chicken library.  I love it ... can't put it down and learning so much!  Ella dreams of the warm dry days that she can spend out in the yard running around with her girls.  Right now it is cold, snowy and really windy.  I worry about The Girls but so far they have been laying 6-8 eggs a day (pretty good for 12 girls I'd say, but what do I know) and staying warm.  A few have a touch of frostbite on their combs but nothing serious.

 

*The author, Lisa Steele, also write a blog...

 

Green Eggs and Ham

I even see some blue ones too.  You can tell and true blue eggs from the others because the shell is blue on the inside and the outside.

After The Hawk Scare

Mark and I let the girls out for a bit tonight while I fed and watered and added a little treat to each coop.  We all were on high alert.

The girls really enjoy the paths Mark made in the snow.  They can stand on the ground in some of them.  And that is just where they stay.  No one strayed today, not even Inez.

There is safety in numbers.

A little extra suet treat.

OHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was under a quilt trying to get warm in the family room while watching TV and I heard the chickens raising a ruckus.  I mean they were absoutely going crazy!  I looked out the door and dropped my teeth.  A hawk in the tree watching them with both it's  beady eyes.

 

Mark was upstairs so I called him to see if he could get eyes on it.  It took him a minute but finally with some direction he say it.

I couldn't stand it!  I ran for my jacket, camera, and put my boots on as I was hurrying out the door.  No way this bird was going to put fear into my girls.

They were all huddled under the coop squawking like crazy.  Warning each other that there was danger near.  Not to worry girls, I've got your backs.

I got as close to the fence as I could get so I would be sure to get a clear picture to figure out what kind of hawk/bird was eyeing my girls.  I'm going to send this blog to my friend from the Cincinnati Nature Center now working as the Outreach Director at Black Swamp Bird Observatory in northern Ohio.

Huge wing span.

 The pictures aren't really clear...couldn't be that I was talking that bird far away from my girls.

Hope it finds another neighborhood far away to go hunting!

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.

 

People Have Asked.....

...how I have kept my girls from freezing in this weather?  Do I heat the coops?  Do I bring them inside?  And I answer no to all the above.  I've done my research and have decided that when I was choosing birds I choose those that were cold tolerant.  I am afraid to keep a light on or heat the coop for fear it will burn down and we would have fried chicken.  So I just let nature do what nature does.  I do check to make sure the coops are vented properly so no condensation builds up on the Plexiglas.  I keep the chicken poop cleaned out and in the compost bins because it is filled with moisture.  So far so good even with the temps in the -20 without the wind chill added in.

 

They don't much like the snow.

I have seen several of them stand around on one foot.

For some reason they think they aren't walking in the snow if they are on the fence.  Don't tell them but they are still walking in the snow because the fence is covered.

Some of them even stand in the coop on one foot.

The little chicken whisperer is back.

He says that Esthelle is the hardest one to catch.

We threw some treats into the snow to lure them out.  That didn't last long.

Another fence walker.

Standing on one foot.

Got 'Em Before They Froze

I'd love to know how many miles I have walked from the backdoor to the coops and back.  I should keep track.

Love my girls that like to brood.  They move those white wooden eggs everywhere.