Celia -- That is hilarious! And great find on that lumber. We reuse a lot of pallets around here. Good stuff.
M2M -- If it's any help we've had a number of ISA Browns who were quite friendly and personable. One in particular used to "help" when we were working on projects outside. On building / construction type projects she'd "hand" my husband nails. She'd stick her head in the box, pick one up, and then sit it next to him... again and again. Worried me at first when I saw her with one in her beak but then when I saw what she was doing... I was impressed! LOL! Also had an ISA Brown Roo, Sebastian, who was a very personable guy. He used to go sledding with my kids. Would sit right on their lap and go down the hill and then run back up beside them and do it all again. Carmen will always be Carmen and she can't be replaced, but I do think the ISAs can tend towards being that pet-like chicken all on their own.
gallina -- Dark yolks are a result of a diet rich in greens. You can give them loose greens during the winter. Mine eat grass/alfalfa hay when the grass is buried under snow, but you can use anything -- spinach, lettuce, broccoli, kale, collards, etc. For hard shells they just need sufficient calcium, which, it sounds like you've got covered. A winter slow-down is normal, but diet can play a part in how long that slow down lasts. Chickens require at least 16% protein. Which is why that is what layer feed is usually formulated at, because that feed is meant to be fed exclusively. If you're feeding treats on the side however, the overall protein in their diet is probably being reduced. If you're going to feed scratch, leftovers, etc, it may not be a bad idea to boost the CP concentration in their feed to 18 or 20%.
