According to the forecast, yesterday was the last really cold day, of the recent cold spell. There hadn’t been any freezing nights or frozen chicken waters but it felt colder because the daytime temperatures stayed so low. For the past couple of days the temperature hadn’t risen above 1.5 degrees and there was no sun and a bitter wind plus a few snow flakes.
Yesterday for the first time five of the girls were in the shelter together. Emerald never goes in the shelter. Beyond the first day when she was curious about it she has never shown any further interest in it. Peaches and Barley often like to go in the shelter before bedtime. It’s as if it is a sort of halfway house when they have had their bedtime corn but don’t want to go in to the darkness of the chicken shed just yet.
If the weather is horrible or wet Peaches, Barley and Speckles will perch in the shelter. That is what it is for but we really intended it to be a place of respite for the little girls. Yesterday was the first day that these three plus the little girls were in the shelter. Rusty and Freckles were in the back of the shelter with the three bigger girls perching at the front.
I suspect that the little girls may have already been in the shelter when the bigger girls joined them. I thought this would make a great photo but as soon as I went through the gate the little girls ran to greet me.
Three girls in the shelter
Peaches and Speckles are at the front and Barley is further back, you can just see part of her. Freckles is now pecking beyond the shelter. As I got closer Speckles jumped out to greet me.
Barley and Peaches in the shelter
I managed one shot of Barley and Peaches before they too jumped out.
This morning it was so much brighter than recent days and the pop hole opened at half past seven which is the earliest this year. The girls enjoyed a sunny day and there were huge craters in the driest area which showed they had been dust bathing.
They have recently all been in the chicken shed by half past four in the evenings but today after a trip out for a few hours we arrived back home at five o’clock and were surprised to find the girls still out. The day has definitely been lighter and brighter.
Rusty at five o’clock in the evening
Freckles at five o’clock in the evening
The forecast is for better weather this week and the days are noticeably getting longer. It has felt like a long, cold, winter but now it feels like we are heading towards spring at last. We are so glad that we are moving towards spring and I feel sure that the girls are too.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
We all feel so much better when the sun comes out.
Yesterday was our first day of sun, for a while. And it makes so much differance to how light it stays. Your little hut for the girls was such a good idea, they seem to spend a lot
of time in it.They all look good, and healthy.
It was so good to see the sun yesterday and we are on the right side of winter now, heading towards spring and longer days. The automatic door opened at twenty five past seven this morning. The girls are looking good.