 |
| Bucket-o-hens. |
We were so excited to find chicks a few weeks ago not only because they’re adorable and fun, but because it means they’ll be ready to lay very soon (we love our fresh eggs!). However, the absence of warm weather has put a bit of a damper on their transition to the outside.
 |
| So nobody tries to escape… |
They’re definitely feathered enough and have put on a few pounds of weight (which is a lot, considering they only weighed ounces when we got them) but I don’t have the heart to throw them out into the freezing temperatures–even with a heat lamp–when they’ve been enjoying a carefree existence, living near the toasty wood burning stove.
The problem is that chickens stink. No, they reek. They aren’t particularly clean animals and when they’re confined to a small space inside, they inevitably make a smelly mess. Which leads to regular cleaning. Which means they have to sit in a bucket while I do it.
Claire and Kate helped yesterday while I tidied up their little home by watching the growing hens and crooning at them as they sat quietly in their close quarters. Then, when it was time to return to their makeshift cage (thank goodness for extra horse troughs), carefully put them back.
