We’ve had several frosty mornings here at 5R Farm lately, but the ladies and gents are taking it all in stride. They can easily manage in the low temperatures we get in the Pacific Northwest thanks to the fact that they all have down underwear! As long as they have shelter in which they can get out of the wind and rain they do just fine, and being that our ladies are somewhat spoiled they have three shelters in which they can escape the elements. On these cold mornings they often hang out close together to benefit from each other’s shared body heat, and as soon as the first rays of sun shine on the chicken pasture they are off and running just like any other day. My morning chores do take a bit longer on these frosty mornings. I bring the tea kettle with me as I make the morning rounds just in case I have to defrost the waterers. While I’m making the rounds I give them some breakfast treats, because who doesn’t like a little something special in their tummy on a cold winter morning? Most of the girls are just about finished molting, but I’ve still been giving them mealworms in the morning to give them a little protein boost to help them finish growing their new feathers. The boys get scratch grains for their breakfast treat, which is basically empty carbohydrates, but it helps them generate body heat which I figure they can use since the boys don’t snuggle together to keep warm like the ladies do. Also, I figure Lil’ Red Rooster in particular can benefit from some extra carbs since he spends almost all day burning calories running back and forth looking at the ladies.
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