Hopping on opportunity...

I delight in feeding the wild birds. The chickens delight in searching for fallen seeds on the ground under the feeders.

This week I put my beautiful bird bath up for the season, and filled it with clean water. I turned the water spigot off and looked back to admire my handiwork. Two smart chickens had already figured out that if they hopped up on the bird bath they could dine at The Sunflower Buffet.

You have to admire the fact that two birds not known for keen intellect had assessed a novel situation and taken advantage of a new opportunity within mere moments of it being presented. And they were richly rewarded by a smorgasboard of seed.

I learn a lot by watching my chickens.

Macabre...

In November when Smooch the Pug had some serious health issues, I took the plunge and began to feed my pack of dogs a 100% raw food diet. This means that they eat raw chicken, beef, pork, etc. with some bone and some organ meats as well. They LOVE the food, and the health problem has been solved. There are other wonderful benefits, too... the dogs breath is no longer of the variety that peels paint and all of them have lovely clean teeth with no tarter build up. There are lots of other good things, but I won't bore you here.

I took this photo when I fed the dogs last. I had handed Lilly the old Boxer about 1/2 of a chicken. She hauled it to the yard to eat it away from the other dogs. As she ripped and gnawed at the meat, the flock of Wyandotte's descended upon her, snatching up any small bits of chicken that she dropped. The dog ate chicken. The chickens ate chicken. It was all rather macabre.

Footnote: My funny husband says, "It's going to be a bad day when the dogs figure out that the chickens are made out of chicken."

Sunroom for the birds...

With the addition of our new coop this summer, we felt the need to create a new "Florida room" for the chickens. Last years addition consisted of strips of wood and sheets of clear plastic. It was pretty trashy looking, but the birds enjoyed it. This years more upscale efforts consist of straw bales lining the left side, and corrugated fiberglass panels bolted to the metal roof. I filled the inside of the area with a bale of straw and one of shavings. I lined the front with some old bricks to keep the bedding in and blowing snow out. The chickens dislike snow, and we had a few inches come down Saturday night. This little space gives them a place to get out of the coop for a change of scenery, get some fresh air and sunshine, and scratch around for the seeds I sprinkle for them. They can also get under the coop for a nice dust bath. It's good to be a chicken at my house!