Tag: chickens

Silver Saved Hector

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

It has been many days of bad news. I know overwhelming us with bad news is the point, but I feel so down nonetheless. But there are good things too, and I have the best story to tell about Hector.

Last year, we lost Silver, and I was heartbroken because it was partially my fault. She had water belly in a bad way. It had come on quickly, and I kept researching and researching on how to drain her. I was so scared to poke her with that needle and drain her belly. I finally did it, but I was too little too late. Perhaps because I had go buy the equipment and perhaps because I kept watching the same videos and reading the same instructions over and over, we lost Silver.

I as devastated, but a reader and a friend said, “Now you know how to do it, and it will save the next one.”

The next one came pretty quickly. Last May, Hector, who has never had the greatest health, developed water belly. I was still terrified, but I had the equipment, got my son to hold her, and I drained her. I did everything right, I had thought, but the liquid that came out was not a normal, clear color as it should. I looked it up, and it was infection. Everything I read said that the draining would help but that something was seriously wrong with her and that she didn’t have much time.

I kept watching Hector and spoiling her, thinking any moment could be her last, but so far, that moment has never come. I don’t know why. I definitely pulled infected fluid out of her. The ONLY thing I can figure out is that maybe, by some bit of luck, I got enough of the infection out of her that her immune system was able to help her fight off the rest.

Hector continues to be one who is a little slower than the others. I figured out pretty quickly that she did not have the best genetics because she started to develop struggles at a VERY young age. In fact, she will be just three years old this spring. Still, she is still with us and doing well overall. I am thankful because she is the sweetest little thing, and as she has gotten older, she has developed a little bit of sass, which you just have to adore.

The most interesting thing to me is that last week, Hector started laying again! I have no idea how she could be that sick last year and recover enough to be laying again, but I know her eggs. She is a Black Copper Maran and lays a beautiful chocolate egg. Faure lays an egg that is pretty close, but hers are speckled. Hector’s eggs are the only ones that are solid chocolate eggs, so these are definitely her eggs.

The chocolate egg on the left is definitely Hector’s, and the dark egg on the right is Faure’s. I put in two cream-colored eggs for contrast. Aren’t they all beautiful?

It feels a little bit like a miracle. My sweet Silver saved my sweet Hector, and I am learning all the time. I don’t know how much longer Hector has, but she got more time in a place where she is loved and respected. That seems pretty good to me.

Our Beautiful Hens–a Photoshoot

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

This winter has been coldest we have had in some time. Some of our girls have barely left the coop since mid-December. I know everyone wants out of the coop for some driveway time because, for some reason unknown to me, the shoveled driveway is better than the shoveled run, but since we are trying to teach the flock to stay in their area, I have not let the flock out for driveway time all winter.

To make up for it, I have been trying to visit regularly with treats, and this evening, I decided to take photos. Some of them just couldn’t be still enough (I tried for 10 minutes to get a picture of Bianca), but I got some great pictures of some of the girls. I hope these make your heart happy after a really tough week in the world. These girls are so beautiful my heart almost can’t take it.

This is Juliet, and this is my favorite picture of her ever! She will be 5 years old this spring, and she still lays a beautiful olive egg–at least I think so. She hasn’t started laying this year yet. Juliet is the original quirky chicken of our flock and actually raised Ruby, which explains a lot.
This is Betty Jr. Betty Jr. is the daughter of one of our original Rhode Island Reds. Her mama, Betty, was the most perfect Rhode Island Red I had ever seen, so I named her “beautiful Betty.” Betty Jr. is a carbon copy of her. In fact, when Betty was alive, I couldn’t tell them apart unless they were side by side. Betty Jr. will be 8 years old this spring, and I don’t think she’s still laying eggs. She’s also looking pretty old, which breaks my heart, as she is a direct line to my original girls.
This is Clara. She is named after Clara Schumann, the composer. She was raised by Petty last fall, and she’s so friendly. She is one of my few hens who will let me pick her up and snuggle her, so she’s a favorite. I adore her and am so thankful for this beautiful picture of her.
This is Kate, and I have written about her many times. She is from my Shakespeare batch of chicks from 2020, and she was raised alongside Juliet. When Kate was a baby, she was the sassiest little thing I have ever seen. She has remained fairly sassy, but I am worried about her of late. I think the long winter has taken a toll on her mentally. She hasn’t even been taking treats from my hand. Thankfully, this evening, she finally did. I don’t see anything physically wrong with her, but she likes her freedom. She is definitely a wild and free kind of girl. I hope she’s going to be okay, and I can’t wait for the snow and ice to melt.
This Eleanor, named after the Beatle’s song, “Eleanor Rigby.” I wish I could tell you more about Eleanor, but I know very little about her. She is mysterious. She, and here three sisters, are Salmon Faverolles, somehow live in the flock but outside of it at the same time. I can’t explain it exactly. Sometimes, they will take treats from me but not at other times. They watch things a lot. Sometimes, they are all four together, and other times, they are separated into two’s. I keep thinking that, as they get older, I will begin go understand them more, but I am not sure. They’re chill and mysterious and beautiful. They will be three years old this spring, and that’s the most information I have on Eleanor and her sisters. Oh, and they were raised by Ruby, so maybe that’s what’s going on.

10 Below

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

When we woke up this morning, it was 10 below, and I was thankful Ron had decided to put the ceramic heater in the chicken coop last night. In general, chickens do not need a heat in the winter, but we have a “negative 7” rule that we just made up ourselves. If it’s below -7, we bring out some heat for the flock.

There is always a risk of fire when you add heat to your coop, but we do not use a heat lamp and use an oil-based ceramic heater. On top of this, Ron places a cage he built over the heater, and it adds some security.

I have to say the chickens were quite happy with a little extra heat, and Saint-Saens and Betty Jr., both of whom will be 7 years old this spring, happily slept on the heater’s cage last night. I imagine our old chickens have aching joints like I have. All the old girls and boys–from Rooster, who will be 9, to Saint-Saens, Vivaldi, Betty Jr., Mary Jane, and Pumpkin, who will all be 7 or 8 this spring, had a little more spring in their step this morning when I delivered food and water to the coop.

It was miserable out there in that cold, so I did not open the coop to the outdoors until much later in the day today. Poor Tuesday was out of there when I opened that door. She doesn’t mind the cold, but she surely seems to mind being stuck with people.

I was talking to a dear friend from the south last night, and she is so worried about the terrible cold that has hit the entire south this week. She was telling me all of the extra things she is having to do to get prepared and keep her chickens and rabbits warm, and it made me realize just how much we have to do all the time, every single day of our lives, during the winter months here in Maine.

It is a lot of really hard work. Busting ice is so therapeutic mentally, but it can be pretty hard on my body. And I have been fighting with a frozen poop-sickle near the back door of the chicken coop for a week. I finally had to take a hammer to it. I have hauled frozen chunks of poop out of both the chicken coop and duck house all winter, and I can’t get the wheelbarrow through when there’s deep snow, so I have all kinds of cheats for keeping things clean for the birds, most of which are pretty gross for me. And the water! We use buckets to haul water to the chickens and ducks, and the ducks have to have their tubs refilled several times a day on the super cold days–or the windy days. And, of course, how many times this winter have I shoveled the chicken coop and swept the ramps. I want them to be as comfortable as possible.

It was so interesting to me that I am just in the habit of doing all of it and didn’t think about how much extra work the animals are in the winter until I got my friend’s perspective. We concluded our conversation on winter preparedness with her asking me how cold it was here. When I told her, she asked how in the world we lived here, and that made me think more as well. I love here, and I actually like the winter. But why?

Honestly, I have no idea other than I really like having all four seasons (though, okay, spring in Maine can be pretty short and messy), and I have some Scandinavian ancestry. Maybe that makes me like winter. Or maybe it’s this–and I just thought of this–there is something about being tough enough to survive it that makes you feel alive.

If you love Maine or the north and the long cold winters, I would love your perspective. Why are you here? What makes you love it?

And, if you are in the south, please take good care. I know you are not used to this, and I hope warmer temps return very soon!

PS Today, I had to take my son to his first day of early college and was away from the house all morning. I barely saw Boudica before I left. It was just morning chores, breakfast, get the boy out the door. When I got home, I went outside to let the chickens outside for a bit (well, mainly just Tuesday), and Boudica saw me. She came running across the property, and friends, she looked so magnificent in the snow. I wish I had captured it on video. The snow was dusting up around her as she ran across the chicken yard, breaking a new trail in the cold sunlight. Her face looked so happy to see me. When she got to me, I reached down and hugged her with all my might, and she leaned right into it, extra hard. She missed me and let me know. What an honor it is to be loved by such a beautiful creature!

The light and the eggs return

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

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

Today was the day we left the coop!

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

I guess my writing last night about the chickens not wanting to leave the coop did some good because we left the coop this morning! I was so grateful. Some of them were outside off and on for several hours today, so maybe, just maybe, we’ll get an egg tomorrow. None for today–but there’s hope for tomorrow.

The humans also had to leave the coop today for a little bit to get a flu shot. There is some risk for people with long COVID getting a flu shot, as well as other vaccines, but we decided that, even though we mask everywhere we go, our son’s girlfriend might accidentally bring the flu to us. And while there is some risk getting the flu shot, there would definitely be trouble for our long COVID symptoms if we got the flu–so flu shot it was. My fingers are crossed. I have made really good progress with my long COVID symptoms of late, so I am hopeful it is all going to be okay.

I didn’t like leaving the coop though, and I am glad to be back home. In my younger days, I used to get a little stir crazy if I didn’t leave the house every few days. Now, I try to see how long I can go without going anywhere. I can’t get a good streak very often because my son has many activities as a cellist, but one time, I did make it nine glorious days!

This time, I made it six days, and I feel like that was pretty good. I would love to know if I have other homebodies following this blog. What is your longest streak of not leaving the house?

Anyway, I have beautiful pictures to share of my sweet flock finally leaving the coop! I’m so proud of them. They were rewarded with treats for sure.

This is Tuesday, Ruby’s biological daughter and only friend. Tuesday is one of the smartest hens I have ever met. I adore her. And isn’t she beautiful?

This is one of our boys, Dvorak. Rooster finally came out of the coop as well, but Dvorak was one of the first ones out. I can tell he’s tired of being cooped up, probably especially since Rooster is and will always be the boss of him.

This is Yoshi. She is a pardoned meat bird from 2023. She’s very sweet, and while I can tell she doesn’t have the genetics to go for the long haul like Mary Jane who will be 8 this summer, she’s a great addition to the flock. She’s so chill and is a great layer.

This is the covered area we call “chicken camp” because it’s where they can camp out and dust bathe away from the coop. We need to add more dirt, but these chickens made do today.

We’re snacking and hiding…

~ Crystal Sands ~ 4 Comments

I cannot get the chickens to come out of the coop. A handful will come out every day, but even on the nicest days, most of the chickens won’t leave the coop. It all started when we had to have our biggest trees removed from our property. It changed the landscape around here, and the chickens didn’t take it well.

I bought some organic lettuce heads and bagels to give the chickens some snacks and reduce some boredom. It worked too well.

But it’s been more than two weeks, maybe three now, and everyone just seems to be in the habit now of staying in the coop. It is cold outside most days…and there’s snow on the ground. I have also been bringing snacks to the coop, so I guess there isn’t much of a reason to leave.

I can’t really blame them. We are snacking and hiding from the world around here too.

Our family was so busy with work, school, and music right up until the Solstice that I don’t know how we made it. The first couple of days after we were able to stop we almost couldn’t sit still. But I knew we all needed some serious rest–like serious rest. So we are embracing it. Our health demands it, I think.

We get up early to bring warm water and fresh food to the chickens and ducks and then go back to bed. Then, when we get up later, we sometimes just eat pie for breakfast. We hang out with the dogs, sit by the fire, play video games on our family Christmas present, and are literally just hiding and snacking. I haven’t even read the news very much, though I realize I need to check it at some point, as I have been worrying about bird flu and heard there was a case in a backyard flock in Vermont.

But I am going to be like Ruby and hide my head in the corner a little longer, though, at some point, both the chickens and I will have to face things. We have gotten two eggs in total in the last week, so I really need those stinkers to get outside and get some sunshine. I guess it will help when I am not delivering fancy snacks to the coop–and when we run out of pie in the house.

I had to drag myself out the day after Christmas to meet a farmer friend to buy some honey. We got to talking about chickens, and I was lamenting that my chickens won’t come out of the coop.

“Do you feed them in the coop?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Well, then what reason do they have to come out of the coop?”

Indeed.

Two eggs per day–sometimes one

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Right around Thanksgiving is always the worst time for egg laying in our flock. Since we do not add light to the coop, our girls rest this time of year, and it’s always a little disheartening when I go collect the eggs. I have been getting two per day most days this week, but this morning, it was just one.

In our efforts to reduce our flock size naturally over time, we did not have any new baby chicks this summer, which means no one is just starting to lay eggs this fall. It’s been awhile since we have not had any new layers, so I have a feeling that this year is going to be extra tough in the egg department.

There is a good chance I am going to have to buy some eggs this week, and I am interested in seeing how much they cost. I will only buy free-range, humanely-raised eggs, so they are already quite expensive. But I was just reading yesterday that egg prices were up 30% in October due to issues with bird flu nationwide and increased demand. I don’t know why demand would be higher, unless all the chicken keepers all over the country, collectively, are having to buy eggs right now like I am about to do.

I’ll have to keep you posted on how much they cost. Vital Farms are my favorite eggs that taste most like our eggs. I hope they aren’t sold out. I have been having a very, very hard time finding organic, grass-fed milk at our grocery stores. I can still find organic, but because of my son’s liver issues due to long COVID, he can only drink grass-fed milk. There is. a dairy here in Maine that I can buy milk from sometimes, but they are often just sold out. This milk shortage makes me a bit nervous.

Anyway, hopefully, I can find the eggs I want tomorrow. Maybe next year we’ll have at least a few baby chicks in the summer, so I don’t have to buy eggs next Thanksgiving. I really want to get some heritage breed chicks. In the meantime, I have dread for the day I go out to the coop and there is not a single egg for me. I think it’s coming.

On the Importance of Chickens

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

I know I am biased, but I think a good place to start in prepping for the future is with chickens. They are so versatile and not only provide food but also provide fertilizer for a garden. They are also a joy, and that’s going to matter.

Whether you have chickens already or are thinking about chickens, I thought I might share some advice and things I have learned about keeping chickens over the years that might be helpful. I will go into more detail about some of these topics in the coming weeks and months, but I thought a list of ideas this morning might be helpful. Then, others can add to the list, as I am sure there are things I will forget.

This is Petty and her brood from last fall. By greatest luck or some kind of blessing from the chicken gods, every single one of her six babies was a girl. In this picture, we have Annie, Clara, Jacqueline, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Lenore.
  1. I recommend starting with a good coop. If you have to use a cheaper little coop you can buy online, I think that’s a good place to start, but most people I know end up having to make modifications to those, especially if you live in a colder climate. A sturdy coop can make a big difference in the long run. We converted an old shed, and it has been great.
  2. To cut down on predators, I think it’s important to think about placement of your coop. Ours is close to our house, and I am so thankful for this. If you have farm dogs who protect chickens, then this may not be a worry, but I am a big believer in coop placement near your home if you can do it. Yes, there will be noise in the summers, but those egg songs equal good food.
  3. I think it’s more important than ever to get heritage breed chickens. I lucked into a heritage rooster, and his genes have been so good for our flock over the years. I have tried purchasing from local and reputable breeders but have not had good luck in the long-term genetics department. Our sweet Rooster is nine years old now and has had the best genes. We need a similar rooster to add to our flock. Rooster gets to stay, but he just doesn’t make babies too much anymore. We have a rooster, Dvorak, who is also a great boy and will get to live out his life, but he is only about three years old and clearly do not have the best genetics. I will not get babies from him anymore. This spring, I will be purchasing some heritage breed chickens from the most reputable breeders I can find online. I think it’s going to be about tracking down people who specialize in the breeds I want, and I am going to be looking for people who have been breeding these chickens for decades, not just a few years. I have found that people who have been in it for just a few years may be doing good work overall, but they may not know about longevity. I will share what I find out with others.
  4. Get or keep broody hens. If you know someone who has a broody line, ask them for babies or hatching eggs. Even though I curse the way our flock goes broody every summer, there are some perks to this. When we need more chickens, we can get them easily and efficiently. I think it’s a good idea to get an incubator as well, but with some good broody hens, you can have baby chicks without using electricity. Broody hens will also raise ducks for you. I have read that you never want a mama duck to raise a baby chicken because she will accidentally drown the baby chicken, but a mama chicken can raise baby ducks. Ruby and Petty, it turns out, who go broody all summer and will raise babies so well, are worth their weight in gold.
  5. Start saving scraps to feed your chickens. Keep a bowl in your refrigerator and save every little scrap. It will add up and help you cut down on feed costs. Affording feed may be an issue, so making good habits related to scraps right now seems like a good idea to me. Plus, it eliminates food waste.
  6. With the cost of feed in mind, I think it’s important to think about the size of your flock. You want to think about your needs, what you can share, and how much you can feed. Depending upon your area, you may also want to consider bird flu outbreaks. Here in Maine, we had a terrible outbreak two or three years ago, and we got lucky. However, the outbreak reminded us that we do need a smaller flock in case our flock had to be locked down in a covered run to protect them from bird flu.
  7. My final thought for this morning is that you definitely want to learn how to compost your chicken poop. Chicken poop is one of the best fertilizers for your garden because it is complex, but it does have to be composted. A few years ago, I got my husband to make this video to show people how he does it. There are other ways, of course, but this one works very well for us. It is a shame to waste good chicken poop! Just keep in mind, if you grow an organic garden, you are going to want to feed your chickens organic food.

I would love to hear your tips for keeping chickens. What advice do you have for others who are new to chickens or who just want to step up their game?

PS It felt important to add that, while I was writing this post, I was also putting a dinner on. I put potatoes, turnips, carrots, and onions underneath a roast in a large pot to cook on low all day. All of the vegetables came from our homestead. The roast came from a local farm and was expensive because it was humanely raised and grass fed. It cost about $25. That pot of meat and veggies will feed our family for two meals, so that’s $12.50 per day for our family of three to have a really nice dinner each day.

Late Fall

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

I realize it is not really “late” fall. But I am looking out the window this morning at my maple tree friend, and all of her leaves are gone. Only the oaks still have their leaves. The yard is full of leaves, and the chickens are so happy. The love digging through the leaves.

It has been a strange fall in many ways. The weather has been quite hot by Mainer standards most of the time, with a swing into the chilly every now and again. Today, it is chilly. I think this one might stick. Ron has the basement full of wood and wood stacked near the garage for this coming winter. He is now on a mission to find wood for the coming years, and it seems like his work in that area never ends. We have had our wood stove since 2020, and so far, a storm brings down some tree some where every year in order to provide enough wood for the following year. It could be, however, that the strong winds have cleared out all they are going to clear out, so Ron is wondering if maybe we will have to buy wood to heat our home next year. We’ll see though. Who knows what the winter storms might do.

The chickens have mostly stopped laying. We are getting just three to five eggs per day, and we have feathers everywhere from the molt. I got this picture of Ruby the other day because she looks so cute. She’s still being her Ruby self. She’s very busy and still very vocal. The ducks had completely stopped laying last week, at least I thought. This morning, there was a single egg in the duck house. I was so happy because duck eggs are my favorite. Our plan is that we will not get ducks again after our flock passes away over time, but it will be tough to never have duck eggs again. We talked about how we could just buy some, but I have not seen anyone in our area who raises organic duck eggs.

I have been really busy wrapping up fall classes and processing more food from the garden. The long summer meant an epic tomato crop. I think I have made enough sauce for two years. I was gifted some organic grapes and made grape jelly. Ron planted a fall crop of greens, so today, I will be gathering spinach and lettuce and bagging it up to have it for just a little longer. A big freeze is coming tomorrow night. We have had a couple of light frosts, but the greens can handle that. Ron says they may not handle this one though, at least not the varieties he has planted. I guess it really is late fall.

Mostly, things are going well here on the homestead. Boudica and Bairre, our Pyrenees are busy and healthy. It’s cool enough that we can take them for walks every evening now. In fact, if Bairre doesn’t get a walk, he pouts and refuses to eat, so we are sure to walk. The evenings are just gorgeous, and the walks are good for my soul.

The only bad news is that after over a year with no rats, they are back. I just saw one last night, as I was getting the chicken food to put up for the night. Just a few weeks ago, I was feeling a little smug, thinking that being so neat and careful with the chicken feed has really worked to keep the rats away, but then I remembered that there is a garden full of food, our neighbor’s compost exists, and we had owls living right by the house last fall. I thought it was probably really just a matter of luck that we had no rats. I guess that was right. I am so bummed. They are beautiful, intelligent creatures, but they are so, so destructive. My teenage son loves the owls, and last fall, they hung out with him in the evenings. I told him I needed him to summon his owl friends. He looked at me like I was a crazy witch lady. I get that from him fairly regularly.

I guess that’s all the news for this morning. Stay cozy, friends, and stay sane. It’s a tough time for our culture. There’s a lot of instability. I am just trying to remind myself that, no matter what happens, it’s a good idea to keep learning to be self sufficient. In so many ways, it feels like we are on our own. In so many ways, it seems like we need to stick together.

top photo credit: Ronan Sands

Fall Is Finally Upon Us

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

This is Tuesday, Ruby’s offspring. Like Ruby, she’s the special, only I think she is even smarter than Ruby. Well, maybe it’s hard to say about that, but I will say this: I think Ruby is so high strung that it limits her at times. Tuesday is calm, cool, and smart like Poe was. We have been trying to keep the chickens from hanging out in the driveway because I caught Kate just as she was about to take a step into the road a few weeks ago. Ruby is not thrilled about this, but Tuesday has figured out how to hop onto the top of their covered dust bathing area, jump into the pine tree, and then make her way out front. From there, she charms even Ron out of treats all day long.

This picture was taken the other day after she had been given some extra treats from all three of us and was feeling bold, I guess. I heard a noise at the door and when I went to see what the noise was, I found Tuesday with her best begging face on. With the pumpkin next to her, she totally looked like she was trick or treating, so I went to get both a treat and my phone and got this picture of that beautiful girl. Isn’t she fantastic?

The picture looks like fall to me–Tuesday in her orange and black, pumpkin on the porch–and fall is finally here in our part of Maine. We had a long summer, and we have yet to have our first frost, which is just wild. It was nice getting to eat from the garden for so long, and even tonight, we ate greens and tomatoes fresh from the garden. But there is a chill in the air. You can feel the fall finally coming.

Plus, today, we got just three eggs from the girls. I assume tomorrow will be a little better, but we are definitely well into the molt. The girls are beginning their rest for the winter. I’m going to miss the fresh eggs, but I am glad they get to take a break. Our girls work so hard.

Rooster is having a particularly hard molt. I’m so worried about him, but he seems determined. Yoshi is also molting pretty badly, and Lenore had a tough year for her first year too. Thankfully, she’s all done and looks beautiful. Ruby hasn’t started her molt yet. I’m not looking forward to it. I mean, she’s grumpy on a good day.

Interestingly, Marshmallow is STILL broody. I swear, that hen has probably not laid an egg all year! She was broody all summer, and when I finally got her to let it go at the end of August, she started to molt. She had a solid molt and looks great, but about the time she got all her feathers back, that hen was right back in the nest box being broody again. There is a part of me that just wants to let her have another clutch of chicks; however, I will never forget the summer of 2019.

I let that hen have some babies, and she was like a dinosaur attacking me every time I had to bring the food and water. She was wild. I bled. I had to start wearing oven mitts, and she would then just go for my arms. I swore never again. So she continues to sit, hopeful, and I have to resist any urge to give in. She might live forever this way.

Interestingly, she is Broody Hen’s offspring, who was the sweetest hen in the history of the world. I don’t know what happened to Marshmallow.

Anyway, that’s the update from the chicken yard for today. I just finished teaching way too many classes, but I am now working less for a few weeks. I hope to write more. I hope you’ll leave a comment and write back.