Winter storm

Lots of snow today and a wind chill advisory saying it is going to get to -25 tonight. Took 1.5 hours to drive home. Had to shovel a path out to the coop. Had to shovel in front of the little door to the run just to get it shut. Inside, I found a frozen egg and some chickens looking at me like WTF?

Last year when it was this cold, we brought our bantam Legs inside and kept her in a 30-gallon aquarium. She loved it! Whenever we went near, she'd start talking to us, letting us know how much she was enjoying her secluded vacation spot.

She's a people chicken. I saw her writing "Wish You Were Here!" postcards to the rest of the flock.

Every time we went to check on the chickens after that, Legs would lift her leg up to alert us to her being cold. I fell for it a few times.

Unsettling

There is something very strange about coming upon a dead chicken. I've lost 3 now: Big Mama, the Brown One and Peanut. With the Brown One and Peanut, their eyes were not shut but glazed over with that second eyelid that looks gray and translucent. And their legs were straight out, their toes splayed rigidly. Even though they had each fallen over onto their sides, it seemed like they were trying to perch or grab at something. Is this a last fight for life or the natural way that a chicken dies?

We miss you, Peanut. God speed.