On mornings like this, I am so happy to have my chickens. I'm not just happy to have them because they give me healthy, fresh eggs or because they are fun to watch. I'm happy (and grateful) to have them because they give me an excuse to get out of the house for my morning chores. When I got out of bed this morning I had to bring out the water font (I bring it in at night so it doesn't freezy), let the girls out of their locked coop, and give them some kitchen scraps. The backyard was icy, especially the well-travelled path to the coop, but the air was mild and moist. Some mornings are cold and biting. Some are joyous and refreshing. This one is the latter. It made me want to strap on some hiking shoes and hit the mountains.
Inspired by Joel Salatin's book, I dumped some of my kitchen scraps in with the hens yesterday. They LOVED them! I'm watching to see what they enjoy the most. So far, it looks like the uncooked rice is the winner and the orange rinds are the losers. They went right for the pile this morning, and I added some more on top. They eat more in the winter, and the pepper tops and garlic skins and moldy bread ends add diversity and calories to their winter diet. This is healthy for them, and free for me. Win, win.
Joel Salatin inspired this little scrap experiment, but it's something I do in the summer. Honestly, I haven't put out my kitchen scraps lately because there's snow on the ground, and the pile of compost stands out and looks bad. I finally decided that my neighbors will understand. I don't want to attract other animals that might be hungry in the winter, so the first sign of scavengers will have me cleaning up the little mess. Such is life on half an acre in the city!
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