Keeping Chickens Newsletter

Louise : Jim isn't the only one with a crazy dog. We have an english pedigree Cockerspaniel who is 11 years old. She was apparently born in England and migrated to Australia with her owners who I think may have been an older couple who couldn't cope with her brother's antics so they put both of them "up for adoption". My kids saw the photo of Honey in the local rag and were lucky?? to get her. She is the funniest dog I have ever met, like Jim's dog she eats the chickens food, guinea pigs food, and the rabbits food when we had them, you name it. My daughter only has a tiny vege patch and tried to grow corn. Then Honey decided it was time to eat the ears and they disappeared as did my tomatoes when ready to pick. I don't think she realised that the carrots were under the ground as she loves them as well. I give her eggs occasionally when I have an accident and crack one and she devours the lot shell and all. I give the hens the rest of the watermelon and rockmelons that my daughter buys and when the girls have eaten out the centre, I give Honey the shell and she devours that. She is a horror. I have to watch her when I have the hens out or I will come up later to find they have no food left. Sometimes we wonder if she knows that she is a dog!! Louise Cranebrook, Australia

This is Honey. She really doesn't enjoy the haircut but after, runs around like a new puppy. Then the sparrows come and steal the hair for their nests.

Michelle : I love the newsletter! I am writing in response to a couple of topics from the last 2 issues. Annette was asking about frozen eggs. Early in the winter I had a problem with having 2 or 3 frozen eggs each morning. We live in Western WI. It took some time to figure out a good timeline and figure out when to collect the first eggs. The ideal time for mine seems to be 8:30 AM. Earlier and there is nothing to collect and later they are frozen. Of course, as you said, good for recipes and scrambling. On the subject of cold and snow. My chickens hate to be out in the snow, but love to eat it. They will peck snow off of my boots and they go to the snow line and feast. If you have cold hearty breeds and enough that they can huddle, they don't need heat in the coop. We have a heated base for the 3 gal waterer and on really cold days I fill it with warm water at sundown. We had an actual temp of -30 degrees last week. I got up early and went out to check and everyone was fine. They laid 12 eggs that day. We have 38 hens, but the building is much bigger than that.They group together and keep each other warm. I also feed hot mash and extra corn on really cold days. They LOVE extra corn.