No big excitement. Eos (2015 EE) has laid 2 eggs in the last 3 days and Veronica (Welsummer) laid one yesterday. That is good, poor Trill needs the help, she shouldn't have to carry the entire load on her own.
This afternoon in the barn I noticed that the bottom strap of Teddy's halter had come undone. I left their halters on after shearing them in the spring EXPECTING to get back and do their toe nails. Still haven't done that. But I figured it wasn't good to have a loose halter on him so I took them off both boys. Teddy was a bit easier once I had my hip up against him and his butt and other side were up against Laddie who was up against a wall at that point. After I took his halter off I stroked his back and neck. Not sure he was enjoying it but didn't fight. Then I had to catch Laddie. He wasn't as docile, sounded like he was planning to spit though he never did. Got my hip on him up against the closed stall door and got his halter off. Stroked him some as well, he was less "not unhappy" sounding but didn't fight. While that sounds positive, I'll bet they head out the door ASAP when I go back to the barn tomorrow and approach the gate to put water in their bucket and refill their hay feeders.
I counted the chickens this afternoon when closing up. I always do that in the summer but since the birds don't like the snow and stay in the barn, I've not done it every afternoon lately. Good thing I did count, no Betty (Welsummer). I went out and looked behind the barn thinking she might be wandering around the area I have to blow to get the garden tractor turned around to go back uphill between the barns. She wasn't there but she was standing (not happily) on a 90°ell on a vertical piece of 4" sewer pipe that had been removed from the house that is right behind the big barn about 20' from the barn corner. She was about 6" above the snow. There were NO chicken footprints (or those of any other animal for that matter) leading to the pipe. This means she must have flown there for some reason only known to her tiny chicken brain. It does look like there are some "wing beat" patterns in the snow, I guess from landing or keeping her balance. I walked down the alpaca path then 8' through the 8" deep snow across to where she was. She let me pick her up and carry her back to the barn. I'm sure she would not have been happy to be locked out of the barn all night. Though .... if she decided to get off her perch and go to the barn, she is one of the 2017 chicks and would probably try to go through the alpacas' door IF she managed to fly/trudge 50' down the alpacas' path to the north end of the barn.
Going to be 21 degrees tonight......I do not know the joy of -10 or -20 and hope I never do! 
