At the moment we having hard frosts each night, the girls in chicken world troop to bed at dusk and huddle together and bring the temperature in the one chicken house in use at the moment up nicely. They stay warm and cosy all night with just their body warmth and the thick layer of bedding and newspaper I put in there, I can always feel the heat radiating from it when I go to close their door at about 5ish.
In the morning I open the door and they peek out, a couple of cockerels (we now have four) run out and make their welcoming noises to the new day, breaking the stillness on the farm with their cockadoodle doos. The girls stay warm until the lure of the layers pellets and the need for water make a foray into the white icy world a real necessity. Once out they are happy to peck around trying the frozen grass and look for frozen worms on the top, seemingly a real delicacy, think Magnum White but worm flavoured!
Once the sun appears they follow it round the farm huddling in groups on the patio where it raises the temperature of the paving stones and then luxuriating in its heat in corners everywhere, behind the shed, under the bushes, round corners. Little clutches of hens enjoying these short, fresh winter days, not a bad life.
Over this weekend we are busy dismantling what's left of the polytunnel, the high winds the other week ripped it in half. We are using the polythene to cover the raised beds to keep the chickens off for now and packing away the metal struts and raised beds to take with us. The polytunnel won't be erected at our next place but will be saved for our forever home, saving us money in years to come. The raised beds (these are the plastic ones) will be used outside, a quick assembly, easy fix to get me up and planting as soon as possible.
But time for one more coffee and a bowl of porridge before we venture out into this frosty morning I think.
Sue xx
Youve painted a lovely picture with words ..........the girls sound sensible to me , the chicken equivelant of staying under the duvet until you HAVE to get up.
ReplyDeleteI shan't ever be able to eat a White Magnum again without recalling your words!
ReplyDeleteFrost free here this morning but still January Fresh- perfect for getting stuff done outside, so hope its the same where you are.
Have a really good week
xx
mmm. I am sat with my coffee thinking what to have for Breakfast. and I think it may be porridge. yum. I love to think of your hens all snuggled up together. have a good day.
ReplyDeleteReading that has sent me straight to the coffee pot!
ReplyDeleteAnother magical post Sue! Showing how well you observe your chickens.
ReplyDeleteI read it to Mr Sft as we lay in bed this morning. And we both had beaming smiles.
Sft x
I miss my chickens.. I used to have 10 whichI had hatched from the eggs, but they are long gone.. one day I will have more.. :)x
ReplyDeleteYesterdays was -26C with windchill.....we have ice on the inside of the windows....the fire is going great guns...just finished a bowl of porridge....then we have to feed and clean the birds. Is it nearly Spring?
ReplyDeleteJane x
Loved this post, 'twas only thinking a few minutes ago, I'd love to cuddle a chicken or two today!
ReplyDeleteThe Magnum bit made me laugh! That's the second reference to Magnum I've heared this week, the other one was a woman using a magnum lolly stick to release the trolley at the supermarket, instead of using a pound coin or, in my case a Btitish Heart Foundation token. Previous to that, the sticks where used as seed tray markers!
Have a great week,
Sandie xx
'forever home' i love that Sue. And your chickens following the sun just made me smile.
ReplyDeleteSorry the high winds damaged your polytunne, but so pleased to read the recycler in you is using the polythene for the raised beds.
I wonder how successful it would be to keep chickens over here, with it being so cold?
ReplyDeleteGill in Canada
such a wonderful blog and what lucky chickens glad to have found your site.
ReplyDelete