Waiting for Spring

It's March. It's actually the middle of March, but my chickens don't know it. Every morning I get up wondering if today will be the day that they realize it's Spring, but they haven't. Day after day, nothing. The Geese have figured it out. Flocks and flocks of Canadian Geese by the dozens fly over head. They have been migrating north for two weeks now. They know it's Spring. Not my chickens.

My chickens have been on vaccation from laying eggs since our first big snow fall in December. They eat, drink, cluck around, but no eggs. I figured it's winter no big deal. There's tons of snow on the ground, I wouldn't lay either. So I haven't complained. I haven't threatened or begged or bribed them to make my breakfast not once for the last three months. But now, now it's warmer. Now, the snow has all melted away. Now, the clocks have been moved forward an hour.  Yet nary an egg to be found.
 
Last week I decided they needed a little encouragement. I made a large outdoor run for them. I figured if they could go outside and dig around in the wet earth, eat bugs and grass shoots that would remind them it's Spring. Nothing. Then I figured, it must be the ducks disturbing them. So, I built a small pen for the ducks and moved them out of the chicken coop. Nothing. Oyster shell! That had to be it. If the chickens had a fresh supply of oyster shell THEN they would realize it's spring and start laying. Nope.
 
So here I am, typing on the keyboard. As I glance outside at my chickens scratching in the dirt, lounging away under the trees, fully enjoying the day outside in their big chicken run, I wonder, where did I put the number for the butcher?