When we got chickens last March, I wasn’t thinking about winter.
I was thinking about spring, and keeping those fuzzy chicks warm and fed and watered in our basement. I thought about summer, and building a coop for our girls (I hoped they’d all be girls!) in our back yard. And I dreamed of autumn, when we would gather eggs from our own little flock.
I didn’t think about winter. In particular, I didn’t think of those few times each year when Seattle’s temperature drops into the teens at night, and barely bumps up against the freezing point during the day. And now we’re having one of those nights, and our chooks are out in their unheated coop. Sure, they have feather coats, and they’re all snuggled up together on their indoor roost, protected from drafts… and still I worry. After all, I’ve never had outdoor pets livestock chickens before.
This is Eleanor, one of our Easter-egger pullets. Even at three months, she could make herself egg-shaped to conserve heat.
I’m participating in Holidailies again this year, and plan to post every day from today until January 6. Wish me luck!