Back to winter

We had snow over the weekend, about 4 inches, and some very cold temperatures.  It’s hard to get used to winter again.    Today is a bit warmer and sunny and it’s looking better the next few days.  Hopefully winter will go away again.

I had to take one of my 2 year old hens out of the coop and turn her loose in the barn with Frizzle, the barn rooster.    She kept loosing feathers and was looking quite bare and pathetic.  I finally found out why- the guinea hens were picking off her feathers! I watched them picking at her.  She tried to fight back but they followed her around pulling feathers.  They seem to be quite fixated on this behavior- they have picked all the bottom plastic off the greenhouse annex in the coop.  I had to replace it with fiberboard.

Black hen was turned loose in the outer part of the barn where she is making Frizzle the rooster quite happy as he hasn’t had a mate in a while.  For a few days she spent most of her time just sitting on the feed table, now she is exploring the floor and hay stack.    At first I had to watch that she didn’t run back inside the coop when I fed, it was still home to her.  Now she seems to understand she actually has a good thing. 

 I am worried that the bugger birds have turned to picking at a buff orpington hen. Her feathers seem a little thin on her back.  I don’t know whether these Guineas are worth the hassle, what with the noise and the bullying behavior.    I really have no good way to separate them from the rest of the birds.  I’m trying to find some squash or a pumpkin to throw in the coop that they can eat and destroy. Hopefully warmer weather will show up again soon and they can go back outside. 

 Birds have returned to my feeder in some number.  Maybe it’s because the cold weather keeps the cat away.  I still am not seeing a lot of larger birds like doves, rose breasted grosbeaks, blue jays and the like.   I see a few cardinals now.  Lots of chick a dees,  titmice, goldfinches and downy woodpeckers.  No bigger woodpeckers or the starlings I used to get either.  My suet lasts a long time.  Used to be it hardly lasted 2 days.

 I read  there are a lot of bald eagles over wintering in the thumb this winter too as well as the snowy owls.  If they are eating the birds I can handle that.   I am thinking about driving to Bay City where the eagles are said to be hanging out around the marina.

 My wedding anniversary is tomorrow but I have to work and it’s supposed to snow a bit.  Maybe Wednesday would be a good day for a little anniversary jaunt to see Lake Huron and the eagles in the winter if Steve agrees.  Hope I can get pictures.