Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Blog neglect


I would like to say that since Thanksgiving I have been so busy I haven't been able to keep up.

But the truth is I am just not that organized.

Here are the girls after the weekly cleaning. The snow is a foot deep in places in their yard and half the straw bale was to cover up some snow so they are more willing to go outside. I bribed them into the garage (not that they really needed it) with peanut butter spread on bread with a homemade warm mash of corn and wheat berries on top. But as soon as I was out of the way out they came to inspect.


The heated water bowl has been a much appreciated addition - for those who bring the water and those who drink it. It sits just under the hen house, protected from the side w/ part of a dismantled compost bin. So easy to clean the straw out that inevitably ends up making a soup.

The girls have adapted well. I don't know why I worried - after all wild birds are in our yard all winter. The red light in the garage annex gives them a heat/light source during the day - and the no light heater adds about 10 degrees in their coop at night. we get 1-3 eggs a day now - I think because so much of their energy is spent keeping warm. But they are well enough to greet me when I get home from work.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

I really want a truck someday


I don't think this is what the fine people at Mazda had in mind when they put in leather seats.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

-5

Hubby went to Fleet Farm and picked up a qt. heated dog bowl. Happy day.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Insomnia?

It was dark when I got home from work. Usually hubby switches from the inside the garage light (daytime) to the nightlight in the henhouse, but tonight the chick chalet was dark and the door open.

I dropped (well set down) the groceries and my work bag on the frozen sidewalk. Inside the garage I switched lights. The annex was empty.

Inside the coop were 3 hens wandering aimlessly around the small floor.

Tweety and Shelly were not among them.

Taking my stuff inside to the warm kitchen (hubby was just taking enchiladas out of the oven) I grabbed our little LED lantern and went back out.

The missing hens were under the coop, hunkered in the straw covered snow. They were too far for me to reach, so I went in to dinner, figuring they would "go towards the light".

They did not.

The next 20 minutes was spent with me going in and out of the garage trying to catch the wayward hens. It's bloody 5 degrees! What are they thinking? The other 3 were squawking protest I think, after all their heat lamp was on but the door was open.

When all were ensconced (unhappily I might add) I gave them fresh water and quartered an orange. Maybe it was dehydration. Or plain contrariness.

Wish I had gotten a photo of them in their hiding space

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Hey what happened?


They blame me.

Standing in the 19 degree weather the flock stares accusingly. Like this was my idea (Mwa ha ha) Their feathers are ruffled, keeping the warmer layer of air next to their skin. At night the heater keeps their coop 10 degrees warmer, but that is no longer cutting it. During the day the garage addition has a heat lamp and they have started laying their eggs under it - well out of my reach. My really cool waterer cracked when thawing one morning and I can't find the electric dog dish. So until I can make a trip to Fleetfarm, we bring the little waterer in a couple times a day and at night to thaw it and add fresh water.

Where did time go? Last thing I remember was dressing up the girls for Halloween. That is the start of the holiday season, and it ends with Juju's birthday in January. And whose idea was it that "fall back" was a good idea? Now the hens are in bed when I get home from work.

Nyeh!