A Break in the Weather

What a difference a day makes. Today it's a sunny 23 degrees outside, and the chickens seem pretty happy about the change.

I mixed up some oatmeal for them, which was a big hit.

That yellow thing in the picture is a little container for scratch. The chickens kick it around and release a little bit at a time--kind of like a chicken Kong.

I'd read somewhere that if you put Vaseline on the chickens' combs and wattles it protects them from frostbite, and since the temperatures are supposed to plunge again this week, I thought I'd give it a try. Rob volunteered to help, and it was definitely a two-person job--I caught and held the hens while Rob applied the grease.

The hens tried to wipe off the Vaseline in the straw, and the results were kind of comical.

After the spa treatment, I put a big pile of straw in the annex for them, and they were delighted. They immediately set to excavating.

Thanks to our friend, Cara, for the generous donation of straw!