Pre-snow day chicken pictures

 

 

 

I thought I would take a few pictures today before all of the nasty snow hit...Its snowing now, and they've extended the hours that the snow is supposed to fall. I'm almost betting that the kids will miss the rest of the week here in the Shenandoah County. I'm not exactly sure when the last time was they did go a full week.


In the first picture I posted, they are enjoying a special treat that I made for them. I melted a jar of crunchy peanut butter, and mixed it with some dry oatmeal.  They love it when I make them that. (no my chickens aren't spoiled at all are they???)

In the second and third picture, I was trying to get a good shot of my White Leghorn Cockerel. He's the white guy with the brown markings. He really is getting quite pretty...oh and he has a name, which means we're keeping him...his name is Bing.. Now in the Second picture the one perched right next to him is one of what I suspect is an egger, and the one furthest away from him is one of the Rhode Island Red pullets. (the RIR should start laying any time now) In the Third picture, he's between two of the eggers. I call them eggers because they hatched out of olive green eggs, and there is another proper name for them, but I'm not sure which one goes with them, so I'm just going to call them eggers...like Easter Egg Chickens, which are not a pure bred chicken at all.

Now, the fourth picture really cracked me up. That's one of my RIR pullets, and she's pecking at some condensation on the roof of the chicken house. (we're planning on trying to get that roof insulated this summer so that it doesn't happen, as well as putting in some vents) I just love the way she's all stretched out there.

In the fifth and final picture, is my third egger. I just love the grey feathers she has, I find her to be just stunning.  The brown and white chicken you see underneath of her, is one of the first seven chicks that we ever hatched out. That is a he, and he is a red star/ RIR mix, and he is due to be butchered next week, with several other roosters.

Butchering isn't something that the feint of heart like to talk about, or think about. Some would even say I'm cruel to raise chickens for meat, but I say no. Its not cruel, in fact my chickens have a better life than the chickens that live body to body, and are then stuffed in trucks, in all weather, hot or cold, and then have to sit on a parking lot until its their turn to go through the factory. No, my chickens get to scratch in dirt, play, eat, run, socialize, eat treats, and be loved. I know that they are going to nourish myself, and my family, so extra love, and care, and thanks go into raising them. I treat my chickens as well as I treat my dogs...and my dogs have it better than we do. (and now I will step down from my soap box)