Does this handsome rooster not look like the proudest fellow you could imagine? He still doesn't have an official name, but I think I might call him the new Amos Tupper, after the sheriff in the first few seasons of Murder She Wrote, played by Tom Bosley, of course. He's a kind, gentle protector of the flock, so it seems like a fitting name. The previous, also-very-handsome rooster also named Amos Tupper attacked us (mostly me) several times and had to be removed. He was decidedly unkind and un-gentle protector of the flock. But this Amos Tupper is the sweetest rooster I could have hoped for. He protects his ladies, keeps them away from the road and alerts them when predators - or cats, or children, or rain, or wind, or any other potential 'threats' - are about. He lets them eat first and alerts them to newly scattered treats, and he defers to our authority when we're in the coop or around the chickens. He's also terribly handsome. (Don't mind the poop in the photo below. Such is life in the barnyard.)
The lady chickens are all doing well. There are currently 15 out and about, and two broody hens in the maternity ward, sitting on eggs. One more week until hatch day! I'm really hoping for some success and lots of new little chicks (hopefully mostly hens.)
It looks like we lost our bees over the winter. We're not sure precisely why, but we'll be able to take a closer look when the weather warms up and hopefully find some clues. We'll be getting two more nucs (a nuc is a queen and piles of bees) later in the spring, and hopefully they'll be healthy and robust.
These first few days of spring have been cold and snowy - I'm looking forward to some warmer weather and buds on the trees! All in good time.