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. 

Seeds of the Month Club

Another awesome gift I received from Santa was a membership to the Seeds of the Month Club.  Every month I receive Organic or Non-GMO seeds that are sent at random.  I got two months of seeds today:

Endive (Never had)
Cubanelle Pepper (Haven't had much luck with Peppers, maybe these are the winners!)
Buttercup Squash (LOVE growing Squash)
Turnips, White Egg (Never Had)
Spinach, Bloomsdale
Rutabaga (Never had, super fun to say.)
Arugula
Kale, Blue Cured Scotch
Collards (Never had)
Onion
Tomato, Delicious
Dill
Cabbage, Charleston

I got this cool photo album at the dollar tree to put them in for easy storage.  I don't feel like getting off the sofa to take a picture of it though.  I'll update whenever I get new seeds, and also how the new variates work. 

White Christmas

Whoever has been dreaming of a white christmas can stop now.  It's enough.  I have never in my life seen so much snow.  Apparently on the 23rd a snow cell got stuck over our city and dumped 18 + inches over a 6 hour period.  It is about a 10 mile radius that was affected.  We are the middle.  This is what I woke up to Yesterday morning. 

I had to shovel a path to the coop, shovel open the door, knock the snow off the fence on the roof, and shovel a path to the water.  I also put down shavings, since I am so nice. 
The cluckers did not know what to think. 

They enjoyed their oatmeal, and still laid me two eggs!  I have been getting two eggs a day everyday since the 13th, except today, when I got THREE!! It's a christmas miracle, 3 EGGS!  I have 4 squatting, all three Isa Browns, and Patty the Barred Rock squat whenever I come near them.  We got about 4 more inches of snow today, but the shoveling wasn't so hard this time.

Overall, it was a great day, I got an Ecobrooder for the upcoming spring, and the incredible Egg Scale, which we weighed all our eggs on today.  (They were mostly medium, one large) 
Merry Christmas!

7 months later....

I GOT TWO EGGS TODAY!

The chickens are 22 1/2 weeks old today and this morning I found an egg lying in the shavings, I squealed so loudly the neighborhood dogs were all barking.  I initiated the Twilight Bark, except it was more like the Daybreak Bark.  When I got home from lunch I went to change the water and found ANOTHER egg lying in the run, covered in mud and poo.  I'm sure it was two of the Isa Browns, since for the last week they have been squatting everytime I came into the run.  The eggs are perfect.  Big, brown, even and have a beautiful smooth hard shell. 

The weather has been frightful, without getting above 20 for over a week, and no break in the cold in the 10 day forecast.   I really figured I wouldn't see an egg since spring, it has been frigid, but Isa Browns are apparently AWESOME at lying eggs.  Even in the cold.  I'm excited to see if there's anymore in the coop tomorrow and also to eat them for breakfast.  I considered bronzing them, but that seems a little excessive. 

I've decided to decorate a little, they seem to enjoy the run being festive. 

Free Addition to the Coop!

Nothing beats free, but when it's free AND functional, it really is amazing.  We consolidated a fabric wall at work, and I got the piece that was leftover!  After we took it out and it was sitting in the back room destined for the dumpster, I walked by and was hit with inspiration: My chickens would LOVE that.  At first I had the idea to put it in the run, thinking it wouldn't fit inside my door.  But I kept walking by it, and I kept wanting it more and more inside the coop where it would be more usable.  So, I brought it home and went to work.  I had to disassemble the whole thing, and all the screws were stripped, and I had to sledgehammer the front off, but I finally got it inside the coop!   Then came the putting back together.  That wasn't fun either, and I didn't have any of the right size screws, since the ones I removed were stripped.  I had gone too far to stop, so I just kept going and got it usable.  I wouldn't say it's perfect, because I still have to screw in and attach the corners, but they're doweled in and pretty tight, so I'm confident it will last for a while.  Also, when the spring comes to clean the coop I may remove it to clean it again.  And, as youngest pointed out, it doesn't look very good where there's no paint.  So, that will have to be done again in the spring. 

I fit the ladder back in, because they do climb on it and I want to be able to add nesting boxes up above next year when I get more chickens. The chickens got to free range for most of the day while I was monkeying around, they spend most of their time in the compost pile.  They also like to get barked at by Neighbor's dog.  Still no eggs, but after giving them such a nice gift tonight I expect one in the morning. 

I am still raking the coop into the corner for a compost pile, and throw all our scraps there, I also throw scratch when I want them to turn it down a little more.  The rubber bowl is working great, it stays thawed all day and in the morning is very easy to empty and change. 
The chickens obviously like their new poles, they are much higher than the original pole was, but they are not happy I was shining a flashlight in their faces.  I was worried they wouldn't figure out where to go, seeing as they have a certain order they roost in, but they are back to their old every other breed pattern. I didn't add the top roosting pole, thinking they wouldn't use it, but maybe I'll add it in the spring when it will be nice to sit by the vent windows. 
I'm not positive, but I think this may be the nicest roosting poles for a chicken coop you can get.  It's pretty classy.  

Egg Watch!

The chickens are 18 weeks old this week, which means they can start laying any day now!  My heart races a little everytime I go out to check the nesting boxes, just hoping there's an egg.  I have two girls who I think may be ready, Coconut has red combs and wattles, and Patty's wattles are bigger than the other Barred Rocks. 

It has been bitter cold this week, frozen water, snow, and grumpy chickens.  I made them some oatmeal/museli one morning and they just picked at it, but it was gone within an hour.  I also changed their waterer, I have read rubber bowls don't freeze as quickly.  I have found when it does freeze the ice pops right out, and I bring warm water in a milk jug out when needed.  They were a little hesitant at first about then new bowl (chicken?) but they have gotten the hang of it, I just hope they don't knock it over onto themselves. 

Nesting Box curtains

I finished the nesting box curtains this weekend.  The chicks are 14 weeks old, so I'm not expecting eggs until next month, but I want them to get used to it.  I put fake eggs into each of the boxes.  I had two toy food white eggs and one brown potato that was the exact same size and shape.  It just has eyes and wrinkles.  I hope the chickens don't start laying potatoes because I have enough of those from the garden.  The sign was painted by the girls and the neighbor and I.  The fabric size was a perfect fit in front of the boxes.  I took left over fabric samples from upholstery companies and stapled them up, and they are easily changed for free. 

The chickens are getting prettier and bigger.  The Barred Rocks are showing much more white now and the Isa Brown feathers are a pretty red color.  No flare ups of swollen eyes, but the Isa Brown's combs and wattles are turning redder than the Barred Rocks.