My Polish burned the feathers on her crest...

[Mom 2em All]

Didnt burn them off, didn't burn the skin, just made them very short- she is the tallest chicken, and apparently my heat light is a little too low (well, not now, because her feathers are short...).

They are extremely spoiled chickens- and yes, I have a heat lamp in the coop, and one out on their "porch", so they can be outside and still have a spot to warm up, if need be. Apparently, that is the one that was too low. She is also my goofiest girl- I betcha she stood there thinking..."Hmmm, smells like someone is cooking chicken......"

Significant snow yesterday- my girls looked miserable out there, all huddled up along the house where the snow was minimal.

I made them a warm mash/ oatmeal concoction, and the girls all scratched in it, and managed to get it all over their feet- which of course could not have felt good after it cooled off...clumpy feet. That got me thinking about how awful it must be to be 'barefoot' in the snow. So...

I dug around in the garage and found a bunch of old, very thick, window drapes with insulated(waterproof) backing...and laid them down in various places in their 'yard'. It sure didnt take them long to walk on, stand on those. Much better than the cold snow.

Then I gave them some new alfalfa hay to pick around in, and generally make a big mess out there.

I spoil them but I am getting nine eggs a day from eleven chickens, so they deserve it. (except my Silkie, who insists on laying her egg behind a piece of plywood, OUTSIDE the coop, where it freezes, if I am not quick enough).

My husband laughs at me, and loves to tell me, "I have no idea how my Grannys' chickens ever survived...."

 

[Farmer Brown]

For a second there it was sounding like you were gonna make some chicken booties out of the old drapes !!!!!

Hope my DW doesn't read this or she will try to figure out how to make some for our girls!

Oh wait some of our girls just come inside and hang out in the kitchen if they want a snack or to warm up.

 

[sred98]

LOL! I can just see her being so proud she can reach up that high, and thinking about how good a nice warm noggin feels...then...what's that smell??

I thought you were going to say you made booties, as well! LOL! Sounds like an interesting day at your house, yesterday!

Glad to know she is ok!

Shelly

 

[Mom 2em All]

heh heh heh..chicken booties..hmmmm.

I have no idea how I could keep them on

Maybe some little snow-shoes...

 

[Southernbelle]

My chickens all want to move in with you.

We get less snow here, but it sounds like yours get better treats and all mine are jealous.

Has you little Silkie ever gone broody, yet? Wherever my Silkies lay their eggs, that's where they eventually go broody. A lot of mine choose their own space to lay and it's such a pain!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
I stopped off at the petstore and bought three dozen crickets today- dumped them right out on the snow for the girls...little bugs didnt stand a chance. No chance for the bugs to even wonder what the heck happened. Of course, my spoiled featherz were not satisfied. They ate them so fast, they wanted more. I had no more- they didnt believe me and pecked at my pant leg, my shoe...jumped up to grab the empty plastic bag out of my hands.

My Silkie hasnt gone broody. She probably will next year, but she was born in May of this year, so she wasnt really old enough yet. And I will let her go broody, and I will give her fertile eggs- yeppers I will. (See, I am already excited about hatching eggs again) Right now she is just a loud mouth...complains about the snow, complains about the feed, complains to hear herself complaining...lol.

 

[Southernbelle]

Never bought mine crickets - somehow mine knew about the crickets because they're out there striking right now - not a single egg today!

My Silkies were hatched April 8. I have 10 little pullets and I've had 4 broodies so far!

Five if you count one of the girls going twice already! I gave them eggs because I didn't want to break their little hearts and I have to let them raise their babies because they worked so hard. The whole process is very addicting.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

My silkie hatched on May 5th. She went broody about 2 weeks ago.

She had barely begun laying eggs and then KAPOW! She went broody. Silly chicken. She should hatch out 7 eggs on Saturday.

 

[walbarbsa]

Hi, Silky and Polish lovers: I got 26 chicks from McMurray about 3 weeks ago. They were not a specific breed but I ended up with 13, having split with a friend. There were little ones with what looked like cotton balls on their heads -- Polish or what? They crack me up with their little attitudes and seeing who will be top hen!

Anyway, I have five silky hens that were born in March. Three have already brooded chicks. One mama took over the care of the other mama's two.

Nobody else is laying except for the silkies -- today I got one silky egg out of 17 hens. Some are molting and look like they've almost been scalped! The others, well, they're reacting to the shortened amounts of daylight.

Gotta love 'em all, though.