Category Archives: Chickens

First steps outside

March 23, 2021Chickens, funsusanmanzke

My four hens took their first steps outside yesterday.

The day before I opened the coop door but they didn’t go into the yard. They were afraid.

This time they made it all the way to the front porch. There they checked to see if the cats had left any food.

Chickens have good memories. First, they were afraid to go outside, thinking the coyotes might be lurking nearby. Second, they remembered about the cat food.

Each day I will weigh if it is nice enough to let them roam the yard or to stay inside. Wisconsin weather can be fickled and if snow happens to return, the hens will stay inside. They hate putting their feet in the cold snow.

Chickens having fun

November 6, 2020animals, Chickens, fun, Weathersusanmanzke

I know I’m enjoying this beautiful, mild, and warm November week, so is my dog, Sunny and my chickens are, too.

After coyotes raided our yard and spirited away five hens, the leftovers haven’t ventured far from their coop. Today was different.

Though this isn’t far from their home coop, it is the farthest they have been away from the scantity of their roost.

I handed out grape treats. Only Bonnie comes to take food from my hand, but the others are thinking about getting closer to yummy bits held between my fingers.

I hope you can enjoy these last lovely days of fall, too,

Too soon we’ll be back to regular November weather.

National Chicken Lady Day

November 4, 2020Chickenssusanmanzke

I celebrate this day with many other women who raise and love their chickens.

These days I only have hens, four to be exact. They are the survivors of a coyote raid and do not like to wander far from their coop, if they go outside at all.

Of this group, only Bonnie, second from the right, is alive and well.

Bonnie (above photo) is friendly and will take food from my hand. She hasn’t started laying yet, but I’m hopeful. She came to live here after Kathy couldn’t keep her in her back yard.

The eggs I get are precious as they are so few, especially during the winter.

Free-range birds give the best tasting eggs around. Don’t just take my word for it, try some for yourself.

A bird’s eye view

September 3, 2020animals, Chickenssusanmanzke

On my drive home the other day, I spotted this bald eagle. Since I was on a quiet country road, I stopped to take this photo. I zoomed in as best I could, snapping a quick picture before I spooked it and it flew away.

I didn’t have to go anywhere for the next photo.

A couple of my hens came looking for me.

I think they learned how to beg at the window from the cats who often lurk by the same window when it’s close to feeding time.

Here chick, chick, chick

August 22, 2020Chickens, petssusanmanzke

I had one slice of bread and broke it up for my hens.

They came running when I called them, both the old girls and the young ones.

Watch as they steal and run with little pieces of bread.

These two came begging for more, looking in the kitchen window.

Usually, it’s cats looking in the window, but not today–the other day I had one chicken looking in and one barn cat. Both wanted a treat. The chicken doesn’t care what they get, even a cat treat. The cat would turn its nose up at chicken feed though.

They are all fun to watch.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person