It’s always fun watching the new chickens on the block acclimate to life on the farm. This summer’s clutch of bantam chickens has had an unusually difficult time adjusting to the snow cover.

They appear somewhat baffled about the loss of their normal hunting and pecking grounds, choosing to spend much of the day loitering around the plowed driveway near the duck house. All the chickens find the leftover duck pellet crumbs to be quite a treat – even though we fill their feeders with the same food. Somehow the food is tastier when you’re eating it out of someone else’s dish.

The trouble comes when it’s time to tuck the critters in at night. The oldest banties manage to find their way home, but the young ones appear lost. They continue to hang outside the duck house looking nervous as the night begins to fall, but they make no move to head home. We end up herding them in the right direction until the coop is in sight. It’s as if we need to leave a breadcrumb trail so they can find their way home. I suppose in the snow, everything looks the same to them – they’ve lost their normal landmarks.

You might say they’re a bit snow blind.