Too Much Togetherness

My chickens appear to be handing this cold snap quite well. Sunday was warmer so I decided to spoil them a little bit. I cleaned their home. I gave them some sunflower seeds. I opened the door to the coop in case they wanted to walk around and stretch their wings. Chickenson Caruso, always the leader of the pack, was the first to take me up on my offer. The younger chickens just watched her walk around in the leaves and sandy soil next to the house. I checked on them through out the day. I brought them some zucchini to munch on. I brought them some apple cores and a little bit of organic red kale. At noon I brought them so probiotic water kefir grains. I think they liked them. At 4 pm it was getting dark and I wanted to make sure they all went to bed.  I saw that Heckle and Half Pint never left the coop all day. I guess they couldn't figure it out.  Jeckle and Pollyanna and Heidi Ho were content to hang out in the brambles of the black spruce tree with Chickenson Caruso. I had a phone call to make so I wanted to hurry this process along. I shook my bag of dried mealworms and gave the treat to the two chickens who were still in the coop. I could see Chickenson Caruso watching me carefully. I think she is smart enough to tell if I am actually feeding them or just shaking the bag and pretending to feed them. So I got a branch and came up behind her and poked her gently in the tail. She didn't move and my stick broke. I used the broken stick to bang on some branches and rustle around. I created a little disturbance. Chickenson wasn't moving.  Too much togetherness in the coop.  I get it. Eventually other chickens started moving and Chickenson followed them. After five minutes of chicken corralling I shut the door of the coop and said good night. My dear poultry slackers. I actually had to buy eggs at the grocery store last week!