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Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The Plus Side of Snow.

While I might have been grumbling (putting it mildly) about shoveling a quarter- mile of paths through a foot+ of heavy, wet, icy snow on Thanksgiving morning, it did have it's positive side.  Apparently, being trapped in the coop with only their nesting boxes to keep them occupied, has joggled the hens' memories.  I am now getting three or four eggs a day!  This has been the longest dry spell as far as eggs go, ever on the Little Lucky.  I have a total of 24 chickens - three are roosters, about half are getting on in years, and the rest should be laying their little hearts out.  The reality is, I have gone over 27 days without one. single. egg.  Sluggards.

However, even my Peanut (banty) is back in the boxes.  So, while the days continue to shrink into 4 hours of so-called daylight, the hens are back to work.  The irony is not lost on me...but I will count my blessings and my eggs.

12 comments:

Buttons Thoughts said...

Yes there it is they just needed a reason:) Hug B

Mama Pea said...

Because we got the new chicks this past spring, we've not had to suffer from egglessness this year. But, boy howdy, isn't that the most frustrating thing when every single bird(brain) in the coop decides to go into a molt and we have to suffer using as few eggs as possible (store bought ones at that -- yuck) or try to figure out menus without those golden nuggets? Frozen and/or dehydrated eggs just don't do it for us. There's no comparison to those fresh ones from the backyard! So glad to hear being snowbound broke their molt.

Carolyn said...

We've got about thirty chickens (six or seven roosters......why???) and we're only getting about three eggs a day. And several of them are molting. I should take a picture of one of them, it's pretty pathetic. Looks like it was put through the spin cycle on the washer.

Unknown said...

Good for you! I'm back to selling excess eggs at work :)

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

I vote for more daylight - for the chickens (and eggs) and for me! :)

Susan said...

Buttons - I think you are right. They saw through my threats of the soup pot!

Susan said...

Mama Pea - I am the same . I tried freezing them, but they left me cold, pardon the pun. However, I might freeze some for baking, as I do not ever buy eggs at the store.

Susan said...

Carolyn - Six or seven roosters? Good gawd. I had one that molted so severely, she looked like she was plucked. She's back to her lovely self now, but I suspect she's still holding out on the egg front.

Susan said...

Nancy - Yes ~ I'm hoping they produce enough to pay for their feed, for a change.

Susan said...

You and me, both, Mrs. DM!

John Going Gently said...

Greetings from another chicken owner from a tiny welsh village xx

Susan said...

Hello, John - thanks for the visit!