Cold Mornings

Ok, I'll be honest.  The one thing I have been dreading about having the Ladies is chicken chores in the winter.  It's one thing getting up and heading out to bring them water and food and let them out of the coop on a beautiful fall morning.  It's quite another thing when it's snowy and cold. 

It turns out it's not so bad.  It continues to be amazing to me how peaceful it is in the early morning.  It's quiet.  I never particularly notice the traffic noises from the main street just a house away.  But I definitely notice it's absence.  And it's still.  Even on the days that turn out to be blustery, the early morning is usually calm.  If I manage to get out there early enough I even get to see the sky brightening as the sun comes up over the mountain.  And just maybe I get treated to a pretty pink sky. 

I am truly not a morning person.  Maybe I should say, I never used to be a morning person.  Ever since those little chicks arrived and I would get up early to make sure they had all survived the night, I've been a bit of a convert.  I think maybe I just needed a chance to experience the natural peace of an early morning.  And a reason to realize that even in the cold - it's nice.

The Ladies clearly know the simply joy of a morning.  Granted they are probably just happy to be let out of the coop.  But joy is joy.  I open the coop and out they run.  Clucking and cooing.  Some go straight to whatever warm food I've brought them but one or two usually run right over to the side of the run to greet me.  And they don't shake two tail feathers at the cold or snow.  Sure the first snow startled them a bit.  They paraded up and down making alarmed noises and tasting the snow.  Now they're experienced big chickens and don't even notice the snow.

I'm still a little smarter than they are so I DO still notice the snow.  But so far it's ok.  Interestingly, I had also been dreading having to go out and shut them up for the night in the winter.  Mainly because I'm sort of in hibernation mode.  I like to be in my PJs earlier in the winter.  Well - the time change took care of that for me.  And apparently the Ladies like to be tucked in earlier too.  It all works out.