Monday, December 21, 2009

winter chickens.

We haven't paid a visit to the girls in a little while...let's take a peek and see what they're up to, shall we?
As we've discussed before, they're spending more time in their cozy coop...because they are destructive! I did have some winter peas growing....yes, past tense. They've since been eaten or scratched up or...both. I guess the winter garden just wasn't happening this year.
The egg production has slowed...quite a bit actually. Maybe an egg a day...possibly two. I haven't put the light on for them yet. I figure I'll just let their bodies do what they're supposed to do. I had read somewhere that they'll lay eggs longer if we allow them to go through they're natural process. We'll see...I don't know what I'm doing, really!
Isn't Libby quite the ham? She sees the camera and comes running.
Look how she's crossing her legs...like the gals on the red carpet. Libby thinks it makes her look thinner... (Oh...and don't mind the plop...sheesh...these girls have no shame.)

Ahh...and the beautiful Golden Girls...aren't they sweet? Yeah...sweet alright.
This fat one in the front...Sweetie? (Her name is the epitome of ironic.) She JUMPS at the containers I bring out containing the treats. She's like an attack chicken...and pecked the heck out of my hand the other day trying to be the first one to get the pumpkin scraps! She's MEAN.

Libby again...being a camera hog. She's giving me the stink-eye...letting me know it's about time I let her out of the coop.
I think they punish me...or reward me, however you want to look at it...it seems they lay more eggs when I let them scratch around the yard. Manipulative I tell you....and smart. I don't care what anyone says...

Oh...and Sweetie wanted me to clarify...
...she's not fat...she's fluffy.
Whatever.

10 comments:

WhiteStone said...

Sweet pics. Chickens love cottage cheese, BTW. Growing up on the farm we sometimes had extra leftover milk from the cows. Mom would heat it on the stove and it would clabber into curds and whey. She put the whey in their drinking fountains and fed them the curds. Yummy for chickens.

I think cooler weather may cause their laying to decline a bit. But our hens survived brutal Iowa cold with nothing in the henhouse for heat other than a kerosene lantern hanging here and there and perhaps an electric water heater. They, too, were penned in for the winter. In the spring they began laying more.

Unknown said...

Ha! Your girls are so funny... and always gorgeous. I have 10 and they are down to 1-3 eggs a day because they, too, are in solitary confinement (the hen house and run) due to their behavior. I've found that if I chop up some winter greens (tops of carrots, beats, etc.) and feed them to the chickens, I'm almost always rewarded with extra eggs the next day. Coincidence?

Hullabaloo Homestead said...

Too funny. Ours wouldn't come out of their coop with the snow. My husband shoveled out their run and put a tarp over it too, but they still seem to be keeping to the coop, which is too small to be in all day! The other day amidst the storm, one scratched it's beak and was bleeding, so we let her sleep in the house for the night. Set up the dog crate with some hay for her...she even laid us an egg!

:)Lisa

Magnolia Handspun said...

I am gearing up for Chickens this spring...I am jumping in..eeeap.
(I hope)
Those ladies sure are cute Michelle.

Nancy said...

Your girls are cute. And tell Sweetie that I'm going to use her line ~ not fat, just fluffy ~ especially after all the holiday treats!

Anonymous said...

that totally cracked me up. Red is super MEAN - I actually spanked her the other day!! I was mad at her for pecking at me. Your goldens are beautiful.

we watched Farm Inc. this last weekend.... all the more reason for us to have our own chickens.

Elyse said...

hahaha! They are lovely! Ive always wanted to have my own chickens and eggs! Tell sweetie im a little fluffy too.

Thomas said...

I really really REALLY want to raise my own chicken...I just need to get over my own prejudice that chickens are a lot of work.

They are such beautiful creatures. And it shows that you take very good care of them.

A Friend Across the Miles said...

Oh my stars, I'm laughing this morning!

My friend, I must tell you, you have a way of speaking chicken!

Happy Tuesday!

~~Camie~~

PS: LOVE your header!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Found your blog through the grapevine. Eating it up right now :). Love this post. Fluffy indeed.