The ladies are back outside. After wintering on our back porch, our four chickens have returned to their warm weather digs, the chicken tractor.

They’re thrilled to be digging in real dirt again, and we’re thrilled that they can take out some of the weeds along the edge of our garden beds for us before the real garden season gets started. Nothing makes them happier than eating those new little green shoots, and then scratching out the little white roots. Actually, they prefer bugs. Not too much longer, ladies, not too much longer.

The hen at the top is Ginger, one of our two Golden Campines, and the hen at the bottom is Queenie, one of our two Dominiques. The Campines are great foragers, taking their scratching very seriously. Queenie is a great eater, taking anything involving food seriously. Oh, Queenie.

The chickens being outside means we won’t hear them squawking on the other side of the wall when we’re sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. I think I’ll miss that. I think K won’t.