Hens Don’t Like Snow, but They Love Hen-Sitters

Yesterday we had our first real snowfall of the season. Just an inch, if that. In the morning I opened the coop hatch and, unlike on other days, the chickens didn’t rush out, scolding, hurrying down the plank to their food under the coop. They poked their heads out, looked around, questioned, hesitated. Two ventured down the plank to the point where the roof stops. Then turned back. Then tried again. One made it down, one other followed a minute later. I’m standing there, still in my PJs, going “come on, come on, it’s alright, it’s okay, come on”.  One more was laying an egg in the nest box so she couldn’t be bothered. The fourth, dithering on the plank, turned, went back intot he coop and sat on the roost: “I’m not coming out!” Funny chickens.

Over Thanksgiving break we went to NYC to visit friends for the whole long weekend. On this end I had a line-up of three friends and their families to take care of the hens. They divided up the morning and evening chores and the chickens must have loved it because they were so healthy and happy when we returned. Who knows how many yogurt treats they got! They probably also got a lot more attention from the hen-sitters than from me. My friends got to keep the eggs they found, of course, plus some eggs I had accumulated up till then, and jams and honey and Belgian chocolates.

They brought their kids and one brought her mom too, who is an incurable knitter. When we returned home we found this little egg sweater sitting in our fridge.  Isn’t that too cute!

It makes such a difference,  to be able to travel for a short while, knowing the ladies are well taken care of. Thank you, friends!

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