Baby It’s Cold Outside
Ok, I really shouldn’t complain. Our temps have been in the 20s most every day. My sister Colleen lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and she was excited when they got up over -40F around Christmas. So I know I shouldn’t complain…but I will. You know I will.
Cool ice crystals on the deck. Very cool, or should I say very cold?
The nicest thing about winter, as far as I’m concerned, is all the snowy scenery. I love looking out at the pure white fluff from my cozy couch with a cup of hot tea. Going out in it is another matter. I used to love sledding, building snowmen and snow forts, snowball fights, and walking through the wintery woodlands when I was a kid.
View across the corn field. Coyote territory.
These days I’m doing pretty good if I take the dog for a walk that lasts longer than 20 minutes.
Bean fence I neglected to take down in the fall.
I can’t do a whole lot outside this time of year, besides walking the dog. But I do get out to take care of the chickens. I open the door for them most every day to let fresh air in and some sunshine, hopefully. They don’t like the snow, so I have been tossing the dirty straw out the coop door so they have something to scratch around in out there. They seem to like going out, for a little while.
The chickens won’t go out into the snow.
I clean the coop out pretty regularly. A lot of folks use the deep litter method but I find that the ammonia gets too strong if I don’t clean the manure out. That can cause stress on their little chicken respiratory systems. My flock has already been exposed to CRD (Chronic Respiratory disease) and the ammonia is a really bad thing for them.
A rickety old arbor covered with snow.
Getting outside for some fresh air is a good thing, not just for the chickens, but for me too. I start to feel pretty ‘cooped up’ myself as the winter wears on. By the time February gets here, I’ll be going a little stir crazy. Fortunately the temps here aren’t too bad, yet.
Baby, it’s cold outside…but at least I’m not in the arctic. How ’bout you? Is it cold where you live?
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