Cold Nights in Chicken World
We knew the temps were going to get bitterly cold this week, so this weekend, Kate installed a heat lamp with a dark red bulb in the hen house. (Yes, we spoil our chickens.) Knowing that chickens get spooked by anything remotely resembling change, we turned it on a couple of times over the weekend just to get them used to it.
The first time we turned it on, most of the chickens came racing out of the hen house in alarm, squawking and carrying on like they thought it was the end of the world (or something... who knows what goes on their little chicken brains?). Xena and Gabrielle were not among this group, being the courageous chicken souls that they are. Or, perhaps Xena was just feeling too old to bother with the arduous journey, and Gabrielle would not leave her side. In any case, these warrior chickens did not flee with the masses.
The second time, we turned it on for a bit after they'd already gone to bed and were locked up for the night. When we came out an hour later to check on them, Dancer, Roy, and Sam were milling about on the floor of the house as if they couldn't figure out what to do since it wasn't getting dark (do we crow? do we not crow? what's going on?). So, we turned the lamp off so they could settle down and go to sleep.
Sunday night was very cold, and we turned the lamp on at dusk thinking, surely, surely they'd go into the warmth of the house despite the light. No. Roy, Dancer, Sam, Fred, Lucy, and Ohura decided they'd rather camp out in the cold than go into the hen house with the big, scary, WARM, red light inside. Because, you know, it might be on fire or something. I'm not sure if this is a helpful survival instinct or harmful. So, we turned out the light again, and they hopped inside without a quibble. (Harriett, Ari, and Xena and Gabrielle get points for being clever enough to seek the heat.)
Tonight, on the coldest night of the year so far, Kate turned on the lamp again, and evidently the cowards decided that the warm light in the house was, indeed, better than freezing to death in the dark. They are now voluntarily locked up in their cosy little house, probably warmer than I am right now.
The first time we turned it on, most of the chickens came racing out of the hen house in alarm, squawking and carrying on like they thought it was the end of the world (or something... who knows what goes on their little chicken brains?). Xena and Gabrielle were not among this group, being the courageous chicken souls that they are. Or, perhaps Xena was just feeling too old to bother with the arduous journey, and Gabrielle would not leave her side. In any case, these warrior chickens did not flee with the masses.
The second time, we turned it on for a bit after they'd already gone to bed and were locked up for the night. When we came out an hour later to check on them, Dancer, Roy, and Sam were milling about on the floor of the house as if they couldn't figure out what to do since it wasn't getting dark (do we crow? do we not crow? what's going on?). So, we turned the lamp off so they could settle down and go to sleep.
Sunday night was very cold, and we turned the lamp on at dusk thinking, surely, surely they'd go into the warmth of the house despite the light. No. Roy, Dancer, Sam, Fred, Lucy, and Ohura decided they'd rather camp out in the cold than go into the hen house with the big, scary, WARM, red light inside. Because, you know, it might be on fire or something. I'm not sure if this is a helpful survival instinct or harmful. So, we turned out the light again, and they hopped inside without a quibble. (Harriett, Ari, and Xena and Gabrielle get points for being clever enough to seek the heat.)
Tonight, on the coldest night of the year so far, Kate turned on the lamp again, and evidently the cowards decided that the warm light in the house was, indeed, better than freezing to death in the dark. They are now voluntarily locked up in their cosy little house, probably warmer than I am right now.