Our backyard chickens

I was out in our chicken run one day and saw three girls in a nesting box and Panic was waiting in line to use the nesting box.  I could tell she was getting impatient; she had her neck stretched out to see what was going on in the nesting box and making all kinds of noise.  She waited a little longer, but she was done and pushed herself into the box.  Well, apparently Goldilocks thought four girls were just too many and bailed out.

We have six chickens and just one nesting box wasn't enough.  I have been in line to use a restroom during halftime, and I know exactly how Panic felt waiting to use the nesting box.  It was time to build a new one.  Mike built a nice new  nesting duplex using the wood from our old fence.  But do you see how many nesting boxes are in use?  Go figure.

I've read that fresh or dried herbs are good for the chickens.  The herbs reduce stress, help with fly control, have a calming effect, and many more health benefits.  I have plenty of herbs growing in my garden so once a week or so I add some fresh herbs to the nesting box.  I don't have any way to measure the effects the herbs have on our chickens, but I love the smell when I gather the eggs.

Here I planted some mint in our chicken run.  It is guarded by chicken wire and some logs.  So far it is working and the girls have not been able to dig up the roots.  Having plants in the chicken run is a good idea because it attracts different bugs, gives shade and places to hide.

    

When we went backpacking last week a chipmunk ,or maybe an army of chipmunks (I was asleep so didn't see), chewed through by backpack and got into my nuts.  It was probably no big deal if I ate the nuts, but I just didn't feel like sharing germs with a chipmunk.  When we got home I thought our girls might enjoy them.  I broke them down into smaller sizes for the girls.  Oh my goodness, they loved it.  I saw Cole pecking at the empty plate the next day.  I am pretty sure if she had a tongue she would have licked that plate clean.

I heard that chickens love to stand on logs.  I picked up these logs just for that purpose.  Maybe other chickens love to stand on their logs, but not my girls.  This picture is staged; they don't care about the logs at all.  Goldilocks was a good sport though,  but as soon as the picture was taken she was ready to go back to her normal stuff.  Probably thinking, "things I do for my human."