Chicken Update

Well, I've done it. I've officially become the chicken lady. People send me pictures and blog posts about chickens. Empty egg cartons show up on my desk at work, and I have no idea who left them. When I catch up with friends and co-workers, one of the first questions out of their mouths is, "How are your chickens?"

It's true.

And I love it!

The update on the chickens is that they are doing quite well. As of mid-February, they were officially seven months old, so they are called 'pullets.' (They will be considered hens at one year of age.) They are also consistent egg-layers. One day we may get four. Another day we may get six. Overall, I think we're averaging between 3 and 3 1/2 dozen eggs a week. Incredible! 

It was a 6 egg kind of a day!

The first time we had our chicken's fresh eggs!

We've thoroughly enjoyed having our own fresh eggs, and we love being able to give them away to friends, co-workers and neighbors. I've decided it's one of the coolest ways to have an excuse to get to know your neighbors and to start a relationship with them!

We continue to learn a good deal, as new situations present themselves. One recent challenge was the cold temperatures, even for our cold-hardy chickens. When the temperatures were dropping to -15°F with a windchill of -30°F, we put a heavy painting drop cloth around the coop, and then a tarp over that to provide further insulation. Then we put a heat lamp inside the coop. 

There are differing opinions on providing heat sources for the chickens during cold temperatures, but we decided to help them out when I found dried drops of blood on the top of our heated water bowl inside the coop. It scared me enough that I decided I wasn't going to chance frostbite or anything worse by telling the chickens to "tough it out." 

In the end, they seem fine and are doing well. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks, as they've been enjoying the warmer temperatures post-polar vortex. :)

Proud Grandparents

Every morning I get up, throw on my coat and my gloves and head out to the chicken coop to check on the girls (in chicken speak, this means 'hens'). The past few weeks have been especially challenging due to the low temperatures. The chickens have had absolutely no desire to leave the coop, so we have to be careful and make sure they've got food, clean (and thawed!) water, and that the coop is warm enough so they don't freeze to death.

So this past Sunday was no different... except I was in my bathrobe and PJs. I was in a bit of a hurry to get it all done before Mosaic's combined service at Englewood High, and I was running a little behind.

Food? Check.

Clean water? Nope. Okay, gotta change that out.

HOLD UP.

WHAT IS THAT I SEE OVER THERE?

Snow goes flying. Chicken poo is everywhere. Chickens are squawking... I'm all up in their business in that coop. 

I see eggs. 

Our chickens are laying eggs!

I run back in the house, because - of course! - I have to document this momentous occasion. I'm grabbing my cell phone (have to send a picture to Jody!), my camera for better quality pictures for the blog (of course), and not to forget a stinkin' container to hold all the eggs. Who cares about clean water when there are eggs?!!

We are so proud. Proud grandparents, as Jody likes to say. 

Six whole eggs. A treasure trove. An early Christmas! (Because it really is like Christmas to find presents every morning when I go out to check on them.)

And here's the only stellar container I could find to hold the initial bunch of eggs. I know. A Christmas cookie container was all I could find. (Hobby Lobby, here we come!)

Thursday Update: Including these six eggs you see, since Sunday we have gathered a total of 18 eggs. Yay!!