Category Archives: Backyard Chickens

Hen House Migration

Twice a year we have a migration of the hen house. The chicken coop goes in the greenhouse in the fall through winter and it comes out spring through summer. It works out well because inside the greenhouse it can be 40 degrees warmer than the ambient air in the winter when we aren’t growing anything in there. If it’s still cold in the day or snow’s on the ground they have a dry spot to peck around in. It still gets cold at night, but with the coop inside the greenhouse with a heat lamp and blanket insulation really our chickens are more spoiled than most.


Britton moving the coop with the help of Kitty (standing looking into the coop), Greenfoot and Football

But then we have to drag it back out (by we I mean Britton of course) in the spring. This is nice because we get our greenhouse back, but it also kind of stinks because that means opening them up in the morning and shutting them in once the sun goes down. We didn’t use to do that but we learned our lesson after the hen house attack last summer.

But all the hassle is ok because like daylight savings, it’s a sign of finally moving out from under winter’s long grip, and I’m all right with that!


Another sign of spring: white crocus

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An Egg Without a Shell!

Britton found an egg in the chicken coop that was frozen solid. When I looked at it a few hours later it was apparent that it had been laid without much of a shell. It is an egg without a shell! This was laid by Omelette who is pretty old for a chicken -probably 3-4 years old. So her eggs aren’t quite as top notch as the younger hens and so she needs oyster shell supplements to help her make hard, solid shells.  But her eggs are MUCH bigger, so we still keep her around. 🙂 Check this shell-less egg out…it’s very weird looking!

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Chickens Love Dust Baths

When we first got our chickens we thought it was so strange that they would make a hole in dry dirt and then roll around in it covering themselves in dust. Why would they want to take a dirt or dust bath? It seems like an oxymoron to say dirt (or dust) and bath in the same phrase, but that’s what it is.


Greenfoot and Henrietta sharing a bath

It helps them to stay clean, keep any bugs or parasites off of them -they love to shake it all off after they fling the dirt up and into their wings and feathers- and it cools them down. If you keep chickens, you should not try to discourage this behavior. It is instinctual and important for their health. Plus, sometimes they like to have a communal bath! 🙂

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Spring Tease

The weather has been in the 50s all the way to the mid to high 60s which is pretty unusual for Colorado in January. Britton and I are pretty happy about it though. We love summertime and this weather makes us feel like we’re in Puerto Rico -except that they would be freaking out about it being so cold -ha. But we’ve been out walking, cleaning out the chicken coop, we even thought about taking out the bicycles again!

It’s really making us have even more alegría about Puerto Rico and this potential new deal. And the chickens who have taken a two month vacation from laying eggs have started laying again! The sun is staying in the sky just a tad longer in the evenings so when I leave work it’s not complete darkness. Life is good! 🙂

Even the sunsets which are usually pretty grey and dark in the winter have been more vibrant and colorful.


The sunset from our backyard looking out towards the twin peaks

But…and this is a big but…this is just a spring tease. Next Tuesday temperatures are supposed to drop to a high of 15. A HIGH of 15 accompanied by snow, wind and the like. Uggh. But at least we have this weekend; we have Puerto Rico excitement to keep us warm; and we know spring and summer will eventually arrive even if they keep teasing us for the next few months.

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