I like to keep the snow out of my chickens' runs, so we do. Hubby helps me this year, how wonderful of him. He has a big snow shovel, one that is far too heavy for me to work with, but it is ergonomically (is that the term) friendly, so has a curve in the handle. He can lift a whole lotta snow with that sucker!! 
. Now I have one half his size, but I can move a whole lotta snow too. And besides I can get into places that he can't 
. So he ploughs and throws (off into the edges that border the horses' paddocks) so there is barely a whisper of snow in there, I do the edges and the fine tuning.
We did this once this year so far, and after the night before's dump of snow, we did it again yesterday...clean as a whistle. Birds let out and they never knew that there was like 4 inches of snow on the ground just a short time before. Then it became very nice and warm out, the temperature went up to zero (I think my thermometer on my porch is not quite right), and what was left of little whispies of snow melted. Chicken heaven day. Gave them some beautiful nice rolled oats that were covered with a light coating of molasses and mixed with some bran, warmed up. They like it. When I bought rolled oats from Surecrop, I thought I would get rolled oats, like the ones that I cook for porridge, you know, the Quaker brand style. I was actually pretty shocked when I opened the bag and they looked like oats. Guess kind of a little broken, but they looked like wheat to me actually. I have never purchased oats before, so had no clue what a rolled oat really looked like. Sure didn't look like my porridge oats. Anyways, the chickens love them. I think the little coating of molasses (hardly any notice of that either), but the bag tag says molasses, so I guess it is. They get this every couple of days, along with the handfuls of scratch that is augmented with lots of extra cracked corn, along with the already-cracked-corn in the scratch. They like that too, but absolutely go for the rolled oats (they aren't rolled, why are they called that, that bugs me, smiling).
I have containers that I bought at the dollar store. They are rectangular aluminum things, probably used for like cooking a turkey or something big in, maybe a goose....and they are pretty deep. All the rolled oats (still can't get over that they call them rolled oats, smiling, did you get that impression?), stay in these containers. The material is pretty strong, they don't crumple, so have been with me for a while. I am impressed by them and there is enough room for all the birds to congregate around and eat those silly "rolled" oats.
Oh man, what on earth is wrong with me. I was talking about the snow ploughing, now I wasn't actually, well, I guess I was, but the thread was about snowing again! Oh brother...
So yes, the pens were all beautiful cleaned yesterday, chickens having the times of their lives in the balmy zero temperatures (it has been down to about -7 each night and remaining well below that freezey temperature each day).
I go outside this morning and what do I see. Rats!!! Nope, sorry not rats, but rats, it is snowing again!! Oh brother, thought we might be OK for a couple of days. But nope. Guess Hubby and I are gonna have to go out and push snow around again. Now only one problem with this. We both have to go out early this morning. He is on a road trip to Kelowna (1.5 hours), with our oldest Daughter, they are on a Costco run. Now this Costco run is something that I NEVER go on with them. I did that once after we moved here from the coast to start our new life, and won't do it again. I am not a shopper, I do not like to window shop. I get in the store and get out as fast as my little legs can carry me. Now her and him....they can spend the day shopping, and Costco holds many, many treasures for them both , they always bring home mountains of neat things. Did I mention I don't like to go on that road trip?
Blah, off topic again (but hey, it's mine, so I can
(wonder what that emoticon means anyways?, but it looked cool, so I'll use it)...
Right, snow ploughin' with our plough shovels. Don't think I'll have time to shovel before I have to go out and I don't think he will either. Regardless, I'll still open the pop doors. I know full well that they won't step their pretty little prissy toes out on the white stuff, but then, hey, maybe they will.
So my point here is, after my long and very convaluted writing, is that.....we have to move snow, again....maybe it will stopped for more than a day or two. Maybe there won't be anymore, smiling. Doubt it. Last year the accumulation of snow was about 3 feet, maybe a little more. A whole lotta shovelling goin' on. Thank goodness my Son-in-Law has a bobcat and he can plough our driveway that runs all along the length of half the property to get to our place, and he does this diligently for us, we are loved and taken care of. Beautiful and wonderful days, CynthiaM.
. Now I have one half his size, but I can move a whole lotta snow too. And besides I can get into places that he can't . So he ploughs and throws (off into the edges that border the horses' paddocks) so there is barely a whisper of snow in there, I do the edges and the fine tuning.We did this once this year so far, and after the night before's dump of snow, we did it again yesterday...clean as a whistle. Birds let out and they never knew that there was like 4 inches of snow on the ground just a short time before. Then it became very nice and warm out, the temperature went up to zero (I think my thermometer on my porch is not quite right), and what was left of little whispies of snow melted. Chicken heaven day. Gave them some beautiful nice rolled oats that were covered with a light coating of molasses and mixed with some bran, warmed up. They like it. When I bought rolled oats from Surecrop, I thought I would get rolled oats, like the ones that I cook for porridge, you know, the Quaker brand style. I was actually pretty shocked when I opened the bag and they looked like oats. Guess kind of a little broken, but they looked like wheat to me actually. I have never purchased oats before, so had no clue what a rolled oat really looked like. Sure didn't look like my porridge oats. Anyways, the chickens love them. I think the little coating of molasses (hardly any notice of that either), but the bag tag says molasses, so I guess it is. They get this every couple of days, along with the handfuls of scratch that is augmented with lots of extra cracked corn, along with the already-cracked-corn in the scratch. They like that too, but absolutely go for the rolled oats (they aren't rolled, why are they called that, that bugs me, smiling).
I have containers that I bought at the dollar store. They are rectangular aluminum things, probably used for like cooking a turkey or something big in, maybe a goose....and they are pretty deep. All the rolled oats (still can't get over that they call them rolled oats, smiling, did you get that impression?), stay in these containers. The material is pretty strong, they don't crumple, so have been with me for a while. I am impressed by them and there is enough room for all the birds to congregate around and eat those silly "rolled" oats.
Oh man, what on earth is wrong with me. I was talking about the snow ploughing, now I wasn't actually, well, I guess I was, but the thread was about snowing again! Oh brother...
So yes, the pens were all beautiful cleaned yesterday, chickens having the times of their lives in the balmy zero temperatures (it has been down to about -7 each night and remaining well below that freezey temperature each day).
I go outside this morning and what do I see. Rats!!! Nope, sorry not rats, but rats, it is snowing again!! Oh brother, thought we might be OK for a couple of days. But nope. Guess Hubby and I are gonna have to go out and push snow around again. Now only one problem with this. We both have to go out early this morning. He is on a road trip to Kelowna (1.5 hours), with our oldest Daughter, they are on a Costco run. Now this Costco run is something that I NEVER go on with them. I did that once after we moved here from the coast to start our new life, and won't do it again. I am not a shopper, I do not like to window shop. I get in the store and get out as fast as my little legs can carry me. Now her and him....they can spend the day shopping, and Costco holds many, many treasures for them both
, they always bring home mountains of neat things. Did I mention I don't like to go on that road trip?Blah, off topic again (but hey, it's mine, so I can
(wonder what that emoticon means anyways?, but it looked cool, so I'll use it)...Right, snow ploughin' with our plough shovels. Don't think I'll have time to shovel before I have to go out and I don't think he will either. Regardless, I'll still open the pop doors. I know full well that they won't step their pretty little prissy toes out on the white stuff, but then, hey, maybe they will.
So my point here is, after my long and very convaluted writing, is that.....we have to move snow, again....maybe it will stopped for more than a day or two. Maybe there won't be anymore, smiling. Doubt it. Last year the accumulation of snow was about 3 feet, maybe a little more. A whole lotta shovelling goin' on. Thank goodness my Son-in-Law has a bobcat and he can plough our driveway that runs all along the length of half the property to get to our place, and he does this diligently for us, we are loved and taken care of. Beautiful and wonderful days, CynthiaM.
