We’ve been battling harsh winter elements this week, from freezing rain to snow and bitterly cold temperatures, the likes of which we have not experienced in years. We welcomed two new chicks, which hatched on New Year’s Day. The flockers are holding up well to the cold and snow that fell later in the week, but the roosters have been fending off frostbite with all their might.

Mr. Chicken Chick laughs at me nightly as I don my spelunker headlamp and trudge out to the coops, Eucerin cream in hand, to slather up the roosters’ combs and wattles. After dark is the best time to treat chickens for any purpose including frostbite, checking feet for bumblefoot or external parasites. If you don’t have a headlamp, I highly recommend acquiring one. Disregard any heckling from the family.

This is the first Black Copper Marans chick that hatched on New Year’s Day. If you missed the hatch live, you can catch the recording here.

My Blue Splash Marans, Windy, was featured in Hobby Farms Magazine this week, much to her dismay, it was not her most flattering photo. She’s my bumblefoot frequent-flyer, but is in good shape today.

Penny. Poor Penny, molting hard at the worst of all possible times of the year. She’s holding up with plenty of friends surrounding her on the roost at night and in feathered huddles during the way when necessary. Penny is an Olive Egger.