Snow Chickens

Snow!

Winter is still here, even in late February! A deep snow washed over Corvallis closing the schools. I took this opportunity to take a couple pictures of my chickens. They were very reluctant to come out at first. As the day wore on and the snow melted, they clambered out to experience the bitter, cold ice.

Snow can be dangerous to a chicken as they can easily receive frostbite on the tender parts of their body (this would include the comb, wattle, and feet)! We put a heating lamp inside the henhouse to prevent possible frostbite in the night. The outside water dishes can also freeze. To prevent this from happening we put a lukewarm heating pad under it, so the girls can receive a fresh water supply.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Snickers and Checkers and Sweetie! March third was the girls' birthday. I gave them a special blueberry, millet treat to celebrate their being two years old!

Tortoise Food

This morning, my tortoise Hermann, started his daily routine—bask and eat and explore! This type of tortoise, (called a Hermann's Tortoise) is a vegetarian. He eats greens such as dandelions and red-leafed lettuce. In the picture above, the white speckles on his food is calcium. This needs to be fed to him about four times a week.

Hermann is starting to wake up from his winter mode. This means that he sleeps a lot. In the spring and summertime, Hermann is more energetic and playful. He loves to get out of his cage almost every day—we let him out around dinnertime.

Winter Sunshine

Although it is still winter, the sun peeks through the clouds once and a while; this is the perfect opportunity to take pictures outside! I opened the coop gate and out shot the girls! We meandered about for a while and enjoyed the sun.

Many other birds were out as well—towhees, house finches, and dark-eyed juncos! I enjoyed listening to their cheerful tunes.

Pictures:

The top photo is of Snickers kicking up dirt by a holly bush.

The second captures all three of my chickens. From left to right—Snickers, Checkers, Sweetie.

Hermann

Along with my three chickens, I have a tortoise named Hermann. He is about 6 years old and has been a very reliable pet for this family. Living to about 80 years old, he will be a lifetime companion for me. This kind of tortoise is a vegetarian so his main diet consists of greens such as dandelions, lettuce, kale, fruit, and vegetables.

In the winter months, Hermann is slower, yet he still likes to get out to stretch is legs. Surprisingly, tortoises aren't as slow as people make them out to be. When he sees a tasty treat, Hermann will sprint! This is always a pleasure to see!

Many people are confused about the difference between tortoises and turtles. The main difference; turtles are water and tortoises are land. Most turtles are either omnivorous or carnivorous.

Wildlife Blog

Did you know that I have another blog? Its my wildlife blog; check it out sometime! We post photography and descriptions about different types of animals and plants. Here is the link:

Kelly's Wildlife Blog

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