winter is overrated.

We are waiting for another big storm tonight/tomorrow/the next three months/forever/this winter will never end.  So far this has been the worst winter I can remember as far as snow accumulation and ongoing negative temperatures.  Yesterday felt like bliss and the high was only 33.  Tomorrow the high is going to be 2 with sustained winds and a wind chill of -50. We will be in a "POLAR VORTEX."  Doesn't that sound fun?  What a winter to start having chickens.  My garden is so full of snow I can't even see the boxes, and the fence I didn't have time to take down is slowly coming down on its own accord. 

I'm preparing the chickens by adding lots of shavings to the coop, and I got a cool thermometer I put in there to see how cold they are staying.  So far, pretty cold.  I added some straw to the run to stall their boredom today and get them outside, seeing as they will be locked in the next two days. 

Yesterday I got 4 eggs for the first time!  Two Isa Brown and Two Barred Rock eggs.  The barred rocks are much smaller and lighter color.  Except this one, which is XLarge on the egg scale.  All the other of this breed have measured small so I'm curious as to what's in there! 

This morning I found a soft-shell egg in the boxes, well the yolk, whites, and a thin shell membrane.  I couldn't tell what breed it was but I read that it's common at the beginning or end of a laying cycle.  It can also be a Vitamin D deficiency, which is not surprising because the sun hasn't shone in weeks.  I added some Vitamin D gel to the inside waterer, but I'm not sure how much of that they drink since it freezes so quickly.