Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A day at the spa

The morning is gloomy around the cabin. Overnight I had rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain all at the same time. Fortunately, I didn’t have much of any of that. As it is also foggy, getting a photo this morning was out of the question, so I will change tack and go for something completely different with this blog post.

On Sunday, I let the chickens out, knowing they don’t like snow. I figured the snow would keep them fairly well corralled where they couldn’t wander too far. So when I went back to pen them up after a few hours, I was surprised when I couldn’t find all of them. It wasn’t long before I heard them. They managed to find the only non-snowy area around, which is under the cabin.

There they were in the dirt, having a dust bath. They looked as though they were having a wonderful time, all bunched together in one little dirt patch, rolling on their backs and flapping their wings. I think they thought they were in chicken heaven, or at least the chicken equivalent of a day spa. I couldn’t tell where one chicken started and another ended. They were having such a good time I hated to end it, but I did.

This is my first winter with chickens, and I was worried about how they’d do out in their unheated, drafty, cobbled together chicken pen with a rabbit hutch for a nest box. They seem to be doing just fine, and even laid eggs through the winter, when I was told they would not. They even laid eggs through the blizzard. So they deserved their day at the spa—and an extra helping of blueberries.

8 comments:

Cathy said...

Oh they are cute all huddled together.

I'm got about inch and half to maybe now 2 inches of the white stuff. Right it's switching back and forth between snow and sleet.

And OMG!

I just check my forecast. I'm under a winter storm warning because I might get up to 10 inches of snow. !!!!! Gee wasn't like that this morning when i check. Maybe that's why my head is staring to bother me.

Ugh I got to go to the dentist tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully you are not going get this kind of weather. You don't need it either.

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

At last we get to meet "the girls." Thanks for the photo of them. They do look happy.

Grizz………… said...

OMG! You feed your hens blueberries? No wonder they produced eggs through four feet of snow and assorted blizzards! I might lay an egg myself, given such a tasty enticement. (Okay, probably not…)

Pablo said...

Dirt baths. You can never get those frequently enuf!

Carolyn H said...

Cathy: my forecast is now including (a lot) more snow, too. It looks like another foot is on the way, plus 50 mph winds (again).

Carolyn H

Carolyn H said...

Woodswalker: It doesn't take much to make chickens happy. They love the simple pleasures.

Carolyn H.

Carolyn H said...

Griz: oh, those girls love blueberries with a passion. I think they would learn to swim if they knew blueberries were across the lake. They also like strawberries and cantaloupe, and this morning they made short work of the organic spring mix that was about a day past when I would eat it.

Carolyn H.

Carolyn H said...

Pablo:

That's what the girls say, too!

Carolyn H