Dealing with shack-wackiness
Oh the teasing weather of Wisconsin! One day it’s 60 degrees, the next it’s 30. I’m never quite sure what I’ll find when I wake up in the morning. The snow shovels are standing right next to the garden varieties like twin sentinels waiting to be called to their respective duty on any given day.
I run out and take care of some garden tasks in between rain (or snow!) showers and never seem to be appropriately dressed. I’m finally getting accustomed to the sound of the ferocious west winds that rattle me to the core some days.
This past week, when gusts were near 40 mph, I was actively watching tree limbs snap off from dead ash trees that long ago fell victim to disease. Those same trees are on my spring cleanout list. Maybe I should be grateful for the wind doing some of the work of me at least. Now if only it would neatly blow those limbs into my burn pile and save me the 4-acre chore of cleaning them up and hauling them there myself.
Coop confined chickens
And then there are my poor girls and boys who have been too long confined to the coop. To say they are shack whacky is already months late in declaring. They were that way before our sub-zero January. Because chicken feet are very tender and prone to frostbite, they do not like to go out if there is snow or ice on the ground. Because our flock mostly free ranges, their outdoor space is mostly open to the elements except for a too-small area that is under cover. This summer I might try my hand at building more covered space—and I’m sure that attempt will provide fodder for a future post!
This winter we opted to reduce the artificial light in the coop to give our flock a respite from laying. They normally need about 14 hours of daylight to keep production at peak levels and in the winter that means long hours of augmented light in the coop. We decided not to take that path this year, settling in for fewer eggs in deference to a reproductive rest for our precious layers, which may help increase their lifespan.
Creating necessary distractions
To help them weather the weather, we also provide as much distraction as possible. This is particularly important to keep them from finding less desirable distractions like picking on each other, which can seem downright prehistoric from this group of dinosaur ancestors.
Since the flock won’t go outdoors if there’s snow in their run, we installed a new waste collection method that provides a good amount of extra floor space inside the coop, and more room from them to spread out. I have perfected making homemade flock block and ingredient rich bread to their feeding retinue and those provide both nourishment and distraction as they peck at it instead of each other. I’ve got hanging mirrors, bells, and balls in the coop too, although the novelty of those seems to wear off pretty quickly. It’s still kind of fun to watch a hen stare at her reflection with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
For as much as I try to distract them, they do reciprocate. They always seem happy to greet me when I open the door in the morning to the waiting daily cacophony from laying hens and their encouraging sisters, mating roosters and even the music I often play for them while I’m going about my chores. It’s a noisy, but welcome, start to my morning. To keep me guessing, some hens hide their eggs in areas other than their nesting boxes, providing me an off-season Easter egg hunt. Some sit high on the roosting bars and occasionally jump down amid my work as if to inspect it.
Winter is hard on all living things. When I start feeling shack wacky I can do any number of things to break the monotony of being stuck inside. Unfortunately, there is only so much 29 chickens can do when they are all cooped up. Trying to come up with entertaining distractions for them is a challenge but, like all things at Wittbrich Acres, I’m doing my best to rise to it.
Meanwhile, my flock of feathered friends are never quite sure what I’ll come up with next in the chicken entertainment department.
If you have any tips, ideas, recipes or thoughts on how I might keep my flock busy while we wait for their outdoor time to increase, I’d love to know them! Contact me at tami@toyourwealth.com
Next month is bee-month. I’m expecting two packages of new bees in early April with a third coming in May. Preparations for their arrival are already underway! Until then, may your days (whatever the weather!) be filled with peace, harmony and gratitude.
