The girls are still mostly on strike, from the 6 hens, we’re getting an average of 1 egg/day. As the days get longer, we hope the laying will pick up. Chickens need adequate sunlight to stimulate them to lay. We could use a light bulb in the coop, but we choose to let them follow their natural course, allowing their bodies to rest, and stay warm!
Mostly the girls don’t like to come outside when there is snow around the coop. We entice them outside by leaving the water outside, and scattering cracked corn for them to peck. Keeping the water unfrozen is a serious issue in Vermont winter. The coop isn’t really close to a power source, so using a heated waterer is a challenge. Next winter, we might consider other options, but at this point, we’re just rotating out fresh water 1-2 times/day.
Just like every creature at Sweet Bear Farm, the chickens look forward to the ever lengthening days, and the promise of spring and summer, although, from a sugaring perspective, we hope spring doesn’t come too fast, as we have some work to do before we’ll be ready!
In the meantime, the forecast has more snow tomorrow and later this week, and negative temperatures at the end of the week….better plug in the tractor and fill the wood rack!