Some of the Critters

The animals are much better at not whining about the weather than me.

Maybeline

Of course, they just order room service and hang out in the barn all day.

Myson

I was afraid Nugget was going to lose half his comb and half his wattles, and it looks like the wattles have already fallen off, but the comb is looking a little better now.  Although, I still think he’s going to lose quite a bit of the points.

Nugget and ladies

The peacocks are working hard to grow their tails out.

Everyone else is just hanging around or butting heads.

Cookie

You know, because they aren’t the ones doing chores.

They just get to stand there and munch away.

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Trying to Be Nice

When I put the corn stalk bedding in the birds’ pen, I thought I’d be nice.

My old red hen is really quite old (5 or 7 years), and she spent all last winter huddled in the brooder pen.  That’s where she spent most of November too, so I thought I’d put some bedding in there for her.

old red hen

She didn’t like it.  She went back to roosting on a board, but everyone seems to think it’s the perfect spot to lay their eggs now. Oh well.  At least I know where they are laying them.

The nice weather is also perfect for my old phoenix hen to come out and take a dust bath.  She’s starting to show her age too, but she still goes up in the rafters to roost with her big Nugget.

I am also trying to be nice and give the geese a clean pool of water, but the pool was still frozen to the ground.

Do not think those chickens have to drink from that gross pool.

Nugget and hen

They have clean water inside.  Finally, the ground thawed enough that I could dump the pool.  The geese were happy to get to take a bath.

Although the clean water didn’t stay clean for very long.  And while we’re in the bird pen,

I will share that the peacocks are busy growing their tales out again.  This is the same peacock.  I can’t tell you if it is dad or son.  Maybe when their tales are grown out I’ll be able to tell them apart for one last year.

It amazes me that they can lose their tale and grow completely new ones in time for spring.

In the Coop

The birds are all doing well.

I’m not sure I can tell dad and baby apart anymore.  I might be able to next year when they get their tails grown out.  Dad’s should still be longer.

Nugget is still nice to me.  I did ask my niece, and she said that none of the birds Nugget hated turned out to be roosters, so I have no idea why he was determined to kill those three.

Nugget

This is the Easter egg hen (in front).  She gives me pretty mint green eggs.

It’s nice to be home on Thanksgiving break, so I can see the chickens.  They are ususally rooster by the time I get home to do chores.  The one below is a Dominique.

The two geese are doing well.  My old man gander is much happier when the goose is not on a nest. He much prefers to have her hanging out with him.

I hope he makes it through the winter and she can actually hatch a couple goslings next summer.  She wouldn’t like to be the only goose on the farm.