Our two dogs haven’t moved much from in front of the fire today, and ditto with the kids who remain firmly planted on the couch and wrapped in blankets.

It is -4 and WINDY! And this is really cold for where I live. The wind is whipping through our meadow and the ground is frozen solid.

And for free ranging chickens and ducks, this is pretty nasty.

Cold chicken feet and a frozen duck pond cause extra problems for “gentlemen farmers” like ourselves. And as I sit with my glass of Rum & eggnog, I got to thinking what we could do to fill their bellies and make them a little warmer.

Our duckies waddled out of their hut long enough to gobble this mix of greens & Oatmeal. I added in molasses as well ( we were making gingerbread) and a few strawberry tops.

They had a few issues with the frozen pond, but their little duckie bodies stayed warm with added fresh hay and a towel over their window!

The chickens are less impressed with the weather than the ducks.  They turned off as soon as the first snow hit the ground.  Most of our Bantam hens don’t even come out of the coop, and stay tucked under one of the big hens wings to stay warm.

These guys got a mixture of quick cooked oats, molasses and some leftover brown rice. I tossed some chick mash on top (our chubby hens love that stuff) I cracked the ice on the water bowls and tossed in a little extra Apple cider vinegar as it is a lower freezing temp.

Our big rooster seems extra stressed out lately. Maybe there are a few extra predators around, or he is just letting his OCD take over! He IS appreciating the fact that one of our Spanish “hens” is in fact a Spanish “rooster” and seems to be sharing duties lately!

I have a feeling if this cold snap continues I will run out of oats! At least their bellies are full tonight!