Chickeny goodness

Well, not much news has been happening here - I know it is the oldest excuse in the book but I am just too busy to be posting. I usually remember when I am just drifting off to sleep and I am not dedicated enough to get up and say something! LOL

We have gone from 18 Silkies to 17 - we had one of the grey ones die about ten days ago. I suspect she went out of the hen house in the cold and couldn't find her way back in and froze - or, she jumped out of the tree and killed herself. This is not as odd as it sounds, you see, our new lot of silkies are rather energetic and love to chase each other around the pen playing games. There is one particular tree in their enclosure that has a sloping branch from the ground that they like to climb. They then wait until another chicken walks underneath and they jump on them. It is hillarious!!! (However, potentially dangerous.) So, not sure if the cold got our little hen or if perhaps she had a misadventure when playing in the tree. Or the third option - was she pushed?

So, now we put a board in front of the opening to the hen house to ensure no little rascals go out in the cold at night. They have feed, plenty of straw and little hidey places to sleep. I just need to get a self waterer in there! Part of the delight with this is I get to let them out of a morning. They cheep to me when they hear me coming and the more I talk to them, the more they cheep. It is rather sweet actually - then there is the race for who is out the door first! LOL They follow me everywhere ;-) The funny thing is, the bigger chickens in the other pen follow me along the fence line and 'talk' to me too. I must admit, it is one of my favourite things to do each morning! I know, I'm a bit clucky - just call me the chicken lady!

We also have a broody hen in the large chicken pen - not sure that she is sitting well enough to hatch them though. We have let her keep four eggs and will see how it goes although I am not sure there is much of a chance for success........