How spoiled are my chickens? Well, I dunno, I'll let y'all be the judge of that:
Four separate gardens, in which I plant the following every year: cabbage, lettuce (2 types) broccoli, spinach, chard, Brussels sprouts, corn, watermelon, cauliflower, cantaloupe, pumpkins (4 kinds ranging in size from miniatures to Atlantic Giants) strawberries, turnips, peas, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, asparagus, summer and winter types of squash, zucchini, green bell peppers, tomatoes (three types) potatoes (four kinds) and a whole bunch of other things that I can't even think of at the moment!
All of this is pretty much planted for the exclusive enjoyment of my girls. Certain crops are staggered in their plantings to assure a season long production for the girls to have.
In the winter time, I grow wheat and rye in flats in my garden window. Turn around time on that takes about two weeks. Sometimes they get impatient and want the special goodies right away. In that case they get the germinated sprouts. Otherwise they're pretty content to wait until either is about 3 inches tall. They can polish off a 9 inch by 9 inch pan in about two minutes!
On winter mornings they get their usual ration of the dry grains and layer pellets, but then they also get their morning warm up breakfast of cooked oatmeal with mixed veggies in it for good measure. Sometimes I'll even toss in a couple of scrambled eggs if everyone is going through a bad molt. (Why do they always do that in the middle of winter, right when they need their feathers the most!!???
)
In their coop, which is insulated against the winter cold, we have two heat lamps. No frostbite in our flock!
I keep three large kitty litter boxes at the ready with diatomaceous earth for winter time dust baths. I heat the DE up in the oven for about a half hour to about 90F so that it's nice and warm for them to roll around in. That gets placed under the heat lamps and they consider it to be a Day Spa out there in the coop!
So, are they spoiled? I don't think so. I prefer to look at it as just my way of showing how much I love them and how much I appreciate all the hard work they go through to make lovely yummy eggs for all of my breakfast and cooking needs!
In that light, is there really any chicken that is truly spoiled? Well, maybe....if we're talking roosters!!
Oh but wait! Are they not the protectors of the flock? Are they not the fail-safe alarm clock? Do they not provide us with hours of entertainment? In that light, then I suppose even the roo's have earned their indulgences!
Four separate gardens, in which I plant the following every year: cabbage, lettuce (2 types) broccoli, spinach, chard, Brussels sprouts, corn, watermelon, cauliflower, cantaloupe, pumpkins (4 kinds ranging in size from miniatures to Atlantic Giants) strawberries, turnips, peas, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, asparagus, summer and winter types of squash, zucchini, green bell peppers, tomatoes (three types) potatoes (four kinds) and a whole bunch of other things that I can't even think of at the moment!
In the winter time, I grow wheat and rye in flats in my garden window. Turn around time on that takes about two weeks. Sometimes they get impatient and want the special goodies right away. In that case they get the germinated sprouts. Otherwise they're pretty content to wait until either is about 3 inches tall. They can polish off a 9 inch by 9 inch pan in about two minutes!
In their coop, which is insulated against the winter cold, we have two heat lamps. No frostbite in our flock!
So, are they spoiled? I don't think so. I prefer to look at it as just my way of showing how much I love them and how much I appreciate all the hard work they go through to make lovely yummy eggs for all of my breakfast and cooking needs!
