So how cold is it, Nina?
Oh, so cold that a one minute foray outdoors, to throw some seeds and bread pieces at the cheepers has me cowering and huddling. Their feathers blow every which way and I have to wonder -- do they maybe hate winter? is it tough for them to get through the next five months?
I have this sense of guilt as I come indoors into the warm farmhouse. And mix up a pancake batter for Ed. And pour sweet honey over my oatmeal.
How is it that we have so much privilege? For a fleeting second I almost want to go out and get a heating unit for their coop, but we've been warned: don't give it to this unless there is a polar vortex, or they wont be able to adapt to the cold. Seems like tough love though, doesn't it?
In contrast to yesterday's productive slog through tough work, today is gently paced. The winds howl, the temps stay in the upper thirties, the cheepers crouch for most of their daylight hours under the old pickup.
But close to evening (these days, evening merges with late afternoon!), I go out. To meet a friend for a cup or glass of something downtown. The skies are pouty, the air is crisp.
And the light is gone when I leave the cafe to find my car again. A black cat moves slowly across my path, then hesitates as I do my cat calling noises.
He comes over and stretches himself at my feet.
Sorry, buddy. I need to get home to my guys. I'm not a night prowler anymore. This is your domain. Your way of life.
I get in the old Escort and drive into the deeply dark night of the country.
Oh, so cold that a one minute foray outdoors, to throw some seeds and bread pieces at the cheepers has me cowering and huddling. Their feathers blow every which way and I have to wonder -- do they maybe hate winter? is it tough for them to get through the next five months?
I have this sense of guilt as I come indoors into the warm farmhouse. And mix up a pancake batter for Ed. And pour sweet honey over my oatmeal.
How is it that we have so much privilege? For a fleeting second I almost want to go out and get a heating unit for their coop, but we've been warned: don't give it to this unless there is a polar vortex, or they wont be able to adapt to the cold. Seems like tough love though, doesn't it?
In contrast to yesterday's productive slog through tough work, today is gently paced. The winds howl, the temps stay in the upper thirties, the cheepers crouch for most of their daylight hours under the old pickup.
But close to evening (these days, evening merges with late afternoon!), I go out. To meet a friend for a cup or glass of something downtown. The skies are pouty, the air is crisp.
And the light is gone when I leave the cafe to find my car again. A black cat moves slowly across my path, then hesitates as I do my cat calling noises.
He comes over and stretches himself at my feet.
Sorry, buddy. I need to get home to my guys. I'm not a night prowler anymore. This is your domain. Your way of life.
I get in the old Escort and drive into the deeply dark night of the country.
Finally, I am catching up on your week's beautiful posts of yard work done, coop moved, and the tentative good news about Oreo's improved behavior. And so the cold is settling in as the days shorten. Reading this makes me want to bundle up with just the memory of the cold and dark. ox
ReplyDeleteHi Diane! Cold -- yes, acceptable. Dark -- no! I rebel against it! Ah well, in another few weeks, the days'll start getting longer!
Delete"The skies are pouty", I like that.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, winter, here we go again.
... the danger is to become pouty right along with them!
DeleteLove the seasonal contrasts! Here we are in Buath Gurra Grass Flowering season - according to the Kulin nations. Combined with warm north winds it brings hayfever to many (not me). We had a nighttime walk too - waiting till 10pm when it was a bit cooler. Jean
ReplyDeleteWell, I did feel sorry for you back in April when the tables were flipped! :)
DeleteI'll just bet that birds can stand a lot colder temperature outside than we can! Those feathers, after all, are what they make duvets out of (maybe not chicken feathers, but ones like them), and don't those feather duvets keep you darn warm - even hot - during a cold winter night? Mine do! So I would think they are great insulators for those little cheeper-bodies... and I wouldn't worry about them freezing. You have provisions for heat in the coop...
ReplyDeleteHey, we have birds her all winter long, and it can get cold here, too, and they live outdoors and don't seem to freeze up!
I love seeing all 4 birds moseying around together still...
Okay: I'm going to train myself to think in terms of their warm, down coats. Yeah. They're fine. Cold? No problem!
DeleteI'm hoping that's the truth.
Love the bubble chicken on the table. I have seen it in the background in other photos and did not realize it is that large. I see it is moving in on your frothy high test!
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the chicken heater but understandable. I have read that birds can control their body heat through their legs (vultures do it by pooping on their legs and feet....oy). When you see a bird standing on one leg (as in sleeping) they are controlling their body heat. I have never seen chickens do this though. I think they just plunk down and probably cuddle with each other?
That is a big threatening looking sky to me. Looks cold.
Meow. I do this with cats too. They are an easy catch. Crows almost always look shocked.
Bex, I love my down comforter but the birds have adopted it and I need to get a new one. Hopefully not 'live pluck'....insidious some of these methods.
Love all photos of chickens. Please tell them I send my regards! Way to go Oreo.
Ed's cat really destroyed our down comforter. When Ed looked at the retail prices, he cringed. As a result, we just had one delivered, off of ebay. I told him that that is so sketchy! But honestly, it's a beautiful comforter -- at one fourth the price.
DeleteSo far, most our fall weather has been mild, but I suspect colder temperatures will be breathing down on us soon. Today it was more fall-like indoors as I continue to scurry for with Thanksgiving preparations. Am about to pop yeasty cinnamon rolls in the oven. Earlier, I made shortbread/caramel/pecan squares drizzled with chocolate. Shoved them in the freezer as fast as possible to avoid temptation.
ReplyDeleteYou are unbelievable! Do tell -- how many people will be eating dinner that day with you??
DeleteNot sure it is okay to do this but I thought this interesting to share....cluck!
ReplyDeleteThe Hidden Lives of Chickens from Peta-
Leading animal behavior scientists from around the globe know that chickens are inquisitive and interesting animals whose cognitive abilities are in some cases more advanced than those of cats, dogs, and even some primates.
Like all animals, chickens love their families and value their own lives. The social nature of chickens means that they are always looking out for their families and for other chickens in their group. People who have spent time with chickens know that they have complex social structures, adept communication skills, and distinct personalities, just as we do.
They can complete complex mental tasks, learn from watching each other, demonstrate self-control, worry about the future, and even have cultural knowledge that is passed from generation to generation.
Chickens comprehend cause-and-effect relationships and understand that objects still exist even after they are hidden from view. In this respect, they are more cognitively advanced than small human children.
Social Smarts
When in their natural surroundings, not confined to factory farms, chickens form complex social hierarchies, also known as “pecking orders,” and every chicken knows his or her place on the social ladder, remembering the faces and ranks of more than 100 other birds. Scientists agree that chickens’ complex social structures and good memories are undeniable signs of advanced intelligence comparable to that of mammals.
People who have spent time with chickens know that each bird has a different personality that often relates to his or her place in the pecking order. Some are gregarious and fearless, while others are more shy and watchful; some enjoy human company, while others are standoffish or even a bit aggressive. Just like dogs, cats, and humans, each chicken is an individual with a distinct personality.
Researchers have also found that chickens have a cultural knowledge that they pass down from generation to generation. In one study at Bristol University, chickens were fed a mixture of yellow and blue corn kernels. The blue kernels were tainted with chemicals that made the birds feel sick, and they quickly learned to avoid the blue corn entirely. When these hens hatched chicks, yellow and blue corn was spread around the farm (this time harmless), and the mother hens remembered that the blue corn had previously made them sick, so they carefully steered their young away from it.
Their communication skills are just as impressive. They have more than 30 types of vocalizations to distinguish between threats that are approaching by land and those that are approaching over water, and a mother hen begins to teach these calls to her chicks before they even hatch. She clucks softly to them while sitting on the eggs, and they chirp back to her and to each other from inside their shells.
Nora, this is exquisite! I knew bits and pieces of it, but it brings it all together in one beautiful chicken whole! To listen to the hens and to watch them process their surroundings is to really feel the rhythm of life in its fullest form. Thank you!
DeleteNora! Four years of college and forty more years of reading never brought this to my attention.
DeleteInteresting! I really thought chickens were pea-brains, mindless peckers. How can I enjoy eating chicken ever again?
Next I'll hear how shrimp mourn their departed brethren. Then I'll starve.
My son a former sous chef tells me that they've devised curving tunnels for the cattle waiting for the slaughter - so they won't feel fear. They can't see what's happening to the cow in front of them, so they don't get their adrenaline flowing. That doesn't help me feel a whole lot better about it.
When my aunt was here last November she was surprised to see all the horses standing out in the fields with their coats on. She said they don't do that (at least for their particular horses) unless it gets much colder for the same reason you gave-- to toughen them up to the cold. I wonder if there are any weather-dependent cultural differences in the practice of chickens too. And speaking of birds, I have a magpie incredibly interested in the top corner of my window right now. This isn't the first time they've been interested in the edges around the windows (different windows of the house). Wonder what that's all about.
ReplyDelete