It was 5 degrees on the local weatherbug thermometer as I bundled up to go check on the chickens this morning. Any temperature above zero (and below 90F) works fine by me however I suspect that the girls would prefer something in the 60's.
It's no wonder that January is Oatmeal, Soup, as well as Hot Tea Month. All sound delightful as I give the girls their morning scratch. The door to the chicken house stays closed on these cold mornings. Inside is a warm 42F. I'm always a little surprised by how warm chickens can be however just to be sure that they stay snug at night, a heavy layer of clean hay covers the floor and a heat lamp is strategically positioned near the waterer (just not too close to the hay). They all happily surround my boots as I step in each morning, pecking away the snow or grooming my pant cuffs and pleats. Moving slowly, I check for eggs while talking softly with the girls.
We're getting quite a few eggs each day. As you note, they are quite colorful. It's no surprise that Americaunas are in the group of chickens called 'Easter Eggers'. Despite the chilly temps outside, everyone is warm and happy inside.
BTW: for those who are interested, here is a link to an application to calculate Wind Chill:
http://www.onlineconversion.com/windchill.htm
based on this, the 5F with a slight 4mph wind, drops the temp to -3. I think a cup of hot tea would be good right about now.
BTW: for those who are interested, here is a link to an application to calculate Wind Chill:
http://www.onlineconversion.com/windchill.htm
based on this, the 5F with a slight 4mph wind, drops the temp to -3. I think a cup of hot tea would be good right about now.
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