So, it’s spring in Michigan. How do I know? Not because of the calendar but due to my runny nose, inconsistent weather temperatures, the restart of my chicken’s laying eggs, and most importantly a rain-snow-mix falling from the sky on a daily basis.
I hear lots of people complain about cold winter weather. The Snow. The Wind. The…blah blah, you get the picture. But for me spring is the most frustrating season in Michigan. There are “teaser days”, where the sun comes out, it gets warm, and you might even get some work done outside. Unfortunately, days like that are promptly followed up by a freezing spell.
Right now the garden in our backyard is not even close to working condition. I would describe it much like a bog or a mud pit. Every day when it rains it just gets worse. It would be great to throw down a layer of compost and till it in so it can get ready for some young seedlings but to no avail. The Michigan weather must have other plans for our garden this spring.
As for our poor bantam hens out in the yard. This weather loves to play tricks on them. Miho, our polish hen with the silly looking white head, takes rain the worst. Her feathers fall, quickly turn brown, and block almost all her vision. She walks around her pen on rainy days making the most ridiculous noise as to say, “rain, rain, go away, I want to dig up some worms today!”
Lately, the rain has been promptly followed by cold. That makes for some super confused chickens. When you don’t let them out of the pen in the morning to forage around the yard due to cold they glare at you with beedy chicken eyes. “What do you mean we can’t go outside?”
Long of the short- I can tolerate long, cold, Michigan winters. But spring in this state just kills me. I’m ready to move on from this cold drizzly rain and get some sunshine coming down on the Mitten.
