Here they are. Skippy is sniffing Bertha. He has been very good recently and both dogs get to be around the hens unsupervised.
(I check the egg boxes a couple times a day in this cold - just in case! And, I check all other places the hens have been, just in case they have hidden an egg. Still waiting...)
We have a foot of snow on the way this weekend. What will the hens think! They'll be snowed under.
5 comments:
Looks like fun.
What is that silver thing in the coop
Just above Skippys head?
The silver thing is a space ship that showed up in there the other day ...
No, I'm sorry. That's a chicken feeder - a metal hanging poultry feeder. I put their feed meal in there. I had it in the coop first, as that's where some books recommend to put it. But the girls weren't roosting on their bar. I think maybe since I have a tiny coop, the big feeder made it hard for them to get up on the bar.
Anyway, the feeder is now out in the run. I cover the run and feeder with a tarp in foul weather to keep the food dry - and the hens happy.
That cover on the feeder doesn't really protect against weather but stops them from roosting on the feeder and pooping in their food... I am amazed that chickens don't seem to know that they shouldn't poop in their food, or walk thorough it..... I can bring them a tasty and nicely garnished bowl of squash and corn and they will all walk right through it. Maybe it makes it taste better :-/
I live in Calfornia and have chickens a few months older than yours. We had a cold spell of low 40s to slightly freezing and they stopped laying during that time. Probably their bodies defense mechanism to fight the cold. Its in the 70s now and they have started again. Good luck with your chickens they can be a lot of fun.
Our temps are typically in the low 30's this time of year, save for the cold snap we have right now. My sister puts a light on in her coop during the winter to insure the chickens have the 14-16 hours of light necessary to stimulate laying. It probably keeps the roosting area warmer as well.
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