In the twenty-plus years since my ears met silence, I have filled my days with learning all about the world without side-by-side housing. Being of a curious nature since birth, my questions were now being answered. While I still do not know whether the chicken or the egg came first, many other mysteries have been solved and celebrated in.
Such as: what does it take to keep hens (chickens) producing eggs in the winter months in a climate such as I was offered here in Michigan? While I didn't want to wear out my two dozen young ladies, I knew I wasn't doing something right. Production had dropped from 23 hen fruits a day to a mere 4-5.
A trip to the library and to my now-bulging bookshelf began providing answers. A heat lamp was installed at one end of the long, chicken-wired area of the barn where cattle stanchions once stood. The nesting boxes were placed a few feet away, openings opposite from lamp to provide darkness. Fresh bedding (wheat straw) was added daily and weekly cleanings of the material went on like clockwork. Fresh feed and water were offered at least three times daily. And, on the bitterly cold nights, three a.m. waterings became a habit. Egg production went right back up to the two dozen or more I had grown accustomed to that past fall. Best of all, my gals were obviously healthy and happy as was my very vocal rooster. I had met their needs and, in turn, they were meeting mine. After all, their offerings were sold in order to pay for their keep!
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