t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

12.19.2009

Backyard Chicken Update

The hens still are not laying eggs. But we opted against putting a light in the hen house. If you want them to lay through the winter, apparently they need a solid 12 hours of light. Since we barely eat eggs anymore, we are just letting them go au natural.

After 2 weeks solid of hiding out in their hen house (too cold and too much snow), they have begun to brave the outside world and forage around in patches of exposed earth.
Always sticking together. Thankfully a large blanket of snow separates my deck and the coop.
This is Miriam after she was chased onto the fence by Brim. The little trouble maker. I have never seen her fly so high!
I am having trouble keeping their water unfrozen. Miriam is looking a little skinny. But I specifically got cold weather birds so they could handle the cold.

2 comments:

Jo Lynn said...

Poor things, you should bring them inside. hee hee

How fun, I can't wait to do something like that!

Kevin, Christi, Wade and Max Kotter said...

HI! :) I'm so excited you have a blog too! This will make it so much easier to stay in touch. You are such a good mom, honestly, super mom! I'm really excited that you are pregnant again, reading the last blog made me laugh and made me excited for another. Caslista's talk was beyond precious!! Merry Christmas we love you guys! :)