Moving to Winter Headquarters

Here is Meredith on the left, Pam (who is moulting) in the middle for warmth, and Phyllis on the right.



From the left: Meredith, Pamela, Kelly and Phyllis



From the left:  Phyllis, Meredith and Kelly.  Pamela is hidden.



Winter HQ before the run was attached.

I had to move the chickens to their winter headquarters on Sunday.  All summer they've moved to a fresh spot of grass every week.  All that moving ended with the snow on Saturday.  I want them close to the house so I can plug in their heat lamp and heated water dish.  I have a two wheeled dolly to move the house.  I didn't want to move the coop with the chickens inside.  They, being the dainty ladies that they are, refuse to step foot in the snow.  They would not move for nothing. I looked around and found a snow free fallen limb/temporary chicken perch.  I moved each chicken, one by one, out of the house and onto their perch. Pamela was obviously moulting.  She looked pathetic and tiny with so many missing feathers.  I put her in the middle between the other chickens so she would stay warmer.  Just a few days ago the chickens were running around the yard, flying over the canoe, and full of aerobic movements.  On Sunday they perched on that branch without even turning around.  They watched me as I hauled the coop over the snow toward the garage.  I cleaned it out and added fresh wood shavings.  I had to lay on my back with my upper torso inside the chicken coop to put up the heat lamp.  Man, it was dusty in there.  I brought the chickens back to their coop one by one.  Although all three coop doors were open, they didn't even try to leave.  I thought for a minute they wouldn't need the run attached but then I remembered that the run is there to keep chickens in AND predators out. This will be their home for the next four dark months.  Egg production has really slowed down this fall.  I think only Pamela has been laying eggs for the past two months.  Now that the others have moulted and she is starting to moult, she'll won't be laying eggs for a while.  With the heat lamp on I think egg production will pick up again.