Humans are word focused. Unless someone says look! we often don’t. One of the joys of riding is to tap into the world through my horse’s senses. I can feel when Tonka takes in a deep breath to smell the air. I see his ears swivel. I feel his body orient to something – something that I can’t smell or see or hear, but that he can. I look with him, and sometimes it comes into focus for me.

Tonka and I went for an explore along a river at a state forest.

Tonka’s ears flicked first, then his neck turned.

Do you see what he saw (or first heard, or smelled)?

Wild swans. (Sorry about the quality of the photo. Taking pictures from horseback with an iPhone is difficult!)

I always pay attention to the ears. Here’s Pip enjoying the water celery at the back of the pond. One ear is to the food, but the other is pointed back and up. I wonder what he’s aware of that I’m not?

Lily has radar ears. She even pays attention to what flies overhead. Her ears keep the farm safe.

Alas, not every animal has ears worth watching. Some animals have floppy ears and are only aware of the immediate world around them. That’s okay. They have other, endearing qualities.

Have your animals’ ears clued you into something that you would have otherwise have missed? Leave a comment!

Over the last year, I’ve heard from one of my readers who was going through the process of planning for and building his first coop. He told me that he was an experienced builder of high-end cabinets and wooden boats. Ted asked good questions. Yesterday he sent me photos of his set-up. I was as impressed as I thought I’d be. Ted generously said that I could share his design with you.

The building is a riff on a classic monitor style (there’s an illustration of one from the 1930s here.)

Ted lives on Cape Cod, and this building lets in light and air, but can withstand ocean winds and storms. Because Ted has a storage shed nearby, the entire interior or this 8 x 12 foot coop is used by the chickens. But, it could easily be divided, as I do with my Little Barn. (Plans for my small barn are here.)

Note that Ted has smartly predator-proofed the interior with

Even more than the coop, though, I’m impressed with the design of the outside pen. He used greenhouse hoops! Areas can easily be covered with tarps for shade, snow and rain protection, as need be.

Hardware cloth is also used here – it’s longer lasting and more predator-proof than chicken wire. You can see the master builder’s touches in the mahogany jungle gym and swings.

It makes my day to see a thoughtfully designed, well-made and spacious coop that is a healthy and happy place for both the hens and owner. Thanks for sharing, Ted!

I have two barns and two flocks. This gives me flexibility to divide my hens into different groups. Over the years, I’ve had a young flock and an aged flock. A flock of mellow hens, and one with those more assertive about their resources. I’ve been able to raise chicks in one barn and have everyone else in the other. Right now I have only four hens in one coop and ten in the other. I’m planning on merging these two groups into the Big Barn. Fourteen hens can fit comfortably there. I’ve got several reasons to do this.

I remember last winter. There was a lot of shoveling and water hauling. All of the hens in one space will ease up the work load.

Phoebe lives in the Little Barn. Unlike the late, great Empress of the Coop, Candy, this little rabbit isn’t that fond of the chickens. She doesn’t have it in her to boss them around. She prefers to avoid them. Unlike Candy, Phoebe pees in the coop. The added moisture and urine isn’t good for the respiratory health of the hens in the winter. If we moved the chickens to the Big Barn, and leave Phoebe where she is, she’ll happily live there on her own. Phoebe likes to tunnel in snow, so we wouldn’t have to shovel the pen. Also, it’s easy to clean up after her, because she has one area that she pees in. Tidy, less work, and a happier bunny. Win-win.

But, these flocks have lived separately for a couple of years. Even when free-ranging at the same time, they keep to themselves.

I want them to meet and mingle. Twice now, I’ve let them out and tossed corn on the lawn.

Scratch corn is a rare treat, and hard to resist. Veronica is the last to brave going near the other hens to get it.

The hens are wary of each other. Except for Agatha, who doesn’t seem to notice that there are chickens about that she doesn’t dorm with. She eats right next to Owly and Beulah.

I was not at all surprised that the Black Star, Beulah, was the first to take offense at a strange chicken nearby. She’s on the top of the pecking order. I was also not surprised that the hen that Beulah gave the stink-eye to was Jasper. They glared.

They chest bumped. Notice who is looking on. Agatha.

There was drama.

There wasn’t any blood. No one was going in for the kill. In fact, they were taking a lot of care to avoid each other.

But I never like to see one hen pin another down, and when that happened I quietly stepped between them and called Jasper away.

Everyone had had enough for now, so I called the Gems back to their coop. Agatha was last. Of course.

The weather should be beautiful all week, so I’ll continue to let the hens out onto the lawn, entice them to mingle, and monitor what happens. There will be tussles and scuffles, but hopefully it’ll settle enough that I’ll be able to merge the flocks before the first snowfall.