Topic of the Week - Christmas in the Coop

[RadEggs]

I admit, my 3 are super spoiled. They have a mini "tree" (a bunch of branches I found at the park tied together) and a wreath on the coop. Christmas eve they got egg for a treat, and my Christmas gifts were basically all for them. (Heater for if it snows, water heater, fancy nail polish that is non toxic and matches Onyx, my AC cross.) Spoiled.

 

[Evadig]

The ducks and geese will get peas and maybe I’ll let them swim in the big pond!

Not a good idea! The ducks figured out how to get in there by themselves and wouldn’t come back. We finally were able to scare them out of the water a good two hours after dark. Soon afterwards I heard a great horned owl nearby…

 

[NevadaEmma]

Any ideas for next year?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph and Max!

I wish I’d had the time this year but I had my first broody hen so kinda stressed but the majority of them hatched today so Christmas chicks! Any name suggestions? So far ten chicks have hatched and there are five more eggs left.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph and Max!

Not a good idea! The ducks figured out how to get in there by themselves and wouldn’t come back. We finally were able to scare them out of the water a good two hours after dark. Soon afterwards I heard a great horned owl nearby…

I know it is not really funny, but... I have a pond in the middle of my property that is part of an old Oxbow. My geese used to wander further and further down the driveway and I was afraid if they saw the pond I would be in big trouble, such as yours.

Luckily, there must have been something, probably a big hawk, in one of the trees near the pond. The geese came flying up the driveway at full speed, even the Sebastapol, honking loudly. They never went down the driveway again!

 

[RcoM]

I bought two of mine (that I’m raising for my grandkids) a new chicken tractor (coop) and took it to my daughter’s house. Then on Christmas Day, I even got to rescue 2 x chickens from an untimely death!!
I took my mum out the back to show off the new coop and what did I see (gasp?!) but an enormous black dog, complete with red collar, roaming around the backyard having a sniff. A mastiff of some sort. In the meantime, the two brown Isas were hanging at the verandah with my mum. So it was an anxious scramble, pretending not to panic so I could catch the girls and put them safely away before the big, bad wolf could!
Imagine if my poor grandkids lost their much loved pet chickens to a dog on Christmas Day?! I am grateful for the coincidence which took me out, just in time! The random dog wandered off unawares but we still have no idea from where it came or went.
That was exciting enough, but I did let the babies sit on my lap on Boxing Day too while I sat in the run with them.

 

[RcoM]

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Holly, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, Santa, Elf, Gift.

And jingjebells

 

[Greta the chicken lover]

I mad them a card and it was so cute to see them peck it. Sorry only one of my chickens (Greta) pecked the card. Got to love those guys.

 

[kittyvamp1884]

My chickens usually get a bale of fresh hay to dig around in, and some extra treats hidden underneath.

I haven't given them their gift yet this year since the coop has been temporarily moved. (We had a critter dig in under the coop, and we had to drag everything out.). So this year, not only will they get hay and treats, they'll also get a full regrading of their coop location, and a coop raising!

I also received a tiny chicken picnic table from my sister-in-law, so on Christmas they got lettuce and apples served to them on a picnic table!