Yummm - Warm Water!

Thanksgiving week is upon us! 

Yesterday I went out to feed the birds their grains/feed.  The guineas are starving now, I have to feed them since there's no bugs around for them to find on their own.  As soon as I walk outside they come running to me.  I give them chicken food, plus they love scratch grain.  Their special treat is bread.  They love them some bread.  We buy cheap white bread for their bread treat.

As I was filling the chicken feeders I realized all the chicken waterers were frozen.  It was about 11 degrees F out yesterday with the wind chill.  It was bitter cold.  Odd - because last Friday it was 64 degrees F.  This weather...  Anyway, it was about 8am, the chickens had not been without water for long.  But they all told me they were going to DIE of thirst.  When I looked at the waterer and kicked it (lightly!) with my boot to attempt to determine how deep the ice was, the chickens all attempted to peck it, too.  They were telling me they might die of thirst since their waterer appeared to be not providing water when they demanded.  Chickens can be very demanding.  You don't know these things unless you have chickens.

I made sure the heat lamps were running inside the coops and lugged the 2 waterers inside the 2 coops and put them under the lamps.  I can't open the waterers, Randy really closes them tight.  If I could open them I would have lugged boiling water out in buckets and dumped it on top of the frozen water.  Because I was paying attention to the waterers, the chickens were, too.  They watch everything I do and have to be involved. Too involved.  They always are under my feat, reaching into my pockets to see what I have in there, wanting to be sitting on my lap if I'm squatting down.

Muffin remembered his fight with me from Saturday - he's a smart bird.  He immediately stood up to me and fluffed his neck. 
"Are you ready for this?" he asked. 
I ignored him, I was busy moving the frozen waterer.
"I'm gonna kick your @#!" Muffin hollered at me. 
He attacked my calf with his spurs when my back was turned.  Damn bird.  I ignored him, luckily I had rubber boots on that went up to the knees.  I swung the waterer around so it was between he and I.  He realized I wasn't in the mood to fight and stopped with his fight. Hmmm, if I show no fear, but ignore him, he stops before he gets too worked up.  I'll have to remember that.

Once I got the waterers inside the coop the chickens continually attempted to drink the frozen water.  So I had to setup 2 additional waterers for them, inside the coop under the heat lamps.  I lugged warm water out to the coop in buckets and dumped it into the new waterers in front of the chickens.  Luckily we have extra waterers.  You'd think the chickens had not had a drink in days - everyone gathered around the water gulping and holding their beaks in the air to swallow.  Over and over they gulped.  Muffin came and clucked his call for food to ensure all the hens knew to come and partake.  Ahhh, warm water for the chickens.  Steam was coming off the water since it was so cold out, although the water wasn't that hot.  I should have put some tea in their water and we all could have had a tea break.  I went inside and had some hot tea myself.

It's the simple things that we give thanks for here at Razzberry Corner. 
Happy Thanksgiving!