More snow. The barn and all of its residents have been closed up tight for most of the past few days. It’s basically survival mode in this weather – keep everyone warm, fed, dry and content.
Chickens want no part of this weather with its high winds and single digit temperatures. Pigs will run outside to play and are ready to come back to hide in their beds after only 15 minutes or so. Horses are more tolerant. They’ll romp around for a couple of hours before they’re ready. The goat won’t have any of it. She just stands and stares out the barn door. That’s as far as she’ll go.
Miss Fancy, a tiny hen of mine that was given to me over the summer, wasn’t acting herself the other day and seemed to be having a hard time dealing with the cold. Feeling bad for her and realizing she may not be a cold tolerant breed, I brought her inside to entertain me.
I’ve never found an egg from this hen, so maybe this is an opportunity to see if she’ll surprise me. I suspect she lays them out in the field somewhere. But I can’t say for sure, because I don’t even know how old she is. I wonder if her eggs are tiny, tinted, or white? Maybe she doesn’t lay any?
Regardless, Fancy was thrilled to come inside and began cooing and clucking and making a little nest for herself right away. I’ll be watching for an egg… This is one of the ways farm people entertain themselves in the winter you know. ~A
