She has made little dwellings for them to call home. She uses old cat cages or crates, old little boxes in hopes they would use. Some use the recycle bin or even a bucket.
A few of them also perch on the back of the couch. Looking in at us watching TV. I can't but feel weird with that one.
She used to take the time to pick them up and carry them to the coop when it got dark, but it was cold and she felt sorry for them. Plus it keeps them out of harms way when wild critters are wondering around.
Good luck sneaking by a chicken to get in the house.They're not very quiet. Just like any other night, everyone went to bed in their perspective homes. She shuts the door to the hen house and calls it a night.
Each morning routinely, my mother gets up to open the coop doors. She bundles up runs out opens the little door and then usually goes back to bed. This particular winter day she got up, put on her flannel over her nightgown, lit a cigarette, poured a cup of coffee into a large mug that looks like a pair of denim jeans, puts on her boots and wanders outside to begin the process. Fills the cat dish sitting on top of the grill. A few chickens are huddled around the cat food container knowing that she'll fill it up and maybe get lucky with some droppings. A few scramble off the couch towards her but one little brown hen seemed to jump but squawked and never got down. Flapping her wings, noisy and confused. At first, mom thought that she was caught on the blanket but, soon realized that she was froze to the couch in a mountain of ice. Her little chicken legs were stuck. The day had been warm enough but at night the temps dropped causing the drip to harden throughout the night.
How to thaw a live chicken. The concern was to not break toes or her little chicken legs.
The Chicken Lady took a drink of her lukewarm coffee, took a drag off her cigarette and headed back into the house for a moment.
She came back with a blow dryer and an extension cord and proceeded to melt the ice around the chicken legs.
She was able to free the chicken but wasn't sure if the toes would make it. Later they did turn black and fall off but she survived. Going on her second winter with peg legs she lives on the porch chair that's nice and soft. And when she does wonder around she stays on the carpet, rugs or grass as much as possible. Maybe I will get her a little pirate costume for Halloween.
