I just collected the eggs and spent a little time this evening spiffying up the chicken coop. We got just 5 eggs today, which is a treat to me after several weeks of sometimes getting no eggs, but yesterday it was 9 eggs! And on Wednesday, we got a whopping 11 eggs! That’s really good for January, no light in the coop, and no new hens last year.
I am grateful to those hens, and I try to work hard to show them. Today, I delivered a week’s worth of scraps from the kitchen, did some spot cleaning in terms of poop in the coop, opened up the windows for a bit because it was warm, cleaned all the windows, and then made a small dent in the spiderwebs on the ceiling and in the corners. How are there that many spiders in winter? I also cleaned the nest boxes and added fresh straw.
Most everyone seemed pleased, and most everyone is doing well. Rooster is rattling a little bit but hanging in there quite well for a rooster who is going to be 9 years old this summer. Mary Jane is doing remarkably well. She is the queen of that coop and asserts herself when it comes to eating, as well as her personal space.
Ruby is hanging in there. I am actually happy to report that she is adjusting a little bit to life in the winter in the coop. This is the most consistent winter we have had since she has been alive. It’s been an adjustment for her. She’s not hiding in the corner anymore. Of course, I keep the run and some paths in the yard shoveled for all of them, and she seems to be happy using them. It’s too snowy for her to run around everywhere like she likes, but she’s making do with what she has. It’s great to see. I worried she was just going to stress herself of death.
Of course, when I give treats, she is one of a handful of lower-level hens I always make sure get a treat. When I feed scraps, there is usually enough for everyone. I save up all week–everything from crusts that don’t get eaten to the little bits of leftovers sometimes left on the plate–so there is a feast at least one day per week. But even with a good amount of scraps, the hens at the bottom of the pecking order will not get much. So I always keep a secret bowl and then go around to each of them and hand feed them. Kate is the only one who will not take something from me. I have to throw it on the ground in front of her. I don’t know why she doesn’t trust me, but I respect her ways, of course.
Right now, the hens I save up for are Ruby, Kate, Bianca, Juliet, and I always have a special bowl for Mary Jane. She just moves too slow these days and quit trying. She just waits at the door of the coop once she sees me coming with treats and knows she gets her own bowl. It is not often than anyone dares to sneak in a bite from her bowl. She won’t stand for it, though I have to say that I saw her allow Joan and Betty Jr. (two very old hens) to grab a bite or two from time to time.
I am so grateful for the time I get to spend getting to know these birds. I get so busy sometimes with work of all kinds that I don’t get to hang out with them as much as I would like. At the very least though, I get to hang out with them for morning chores, but when I have more time to just hang out with those chickens, I am better for it. I was thankful for today in so many ways.
I read that, in our part of Maine, we have 6 hours and 48 minutes more daylight on the Summer Solstice than we do on the Winter Solstice. The light comes fast. I feel it’s energy. I hope I’m ready for what is ahead.
photo credit: Nicole Wilcox, Unsplash
