feeding chickens in december in minnesota also by definition means feeding squirrels. our girls love their organic layer seed mix, but i’m not sure i can say definitively that they love it more than the local gray squirrel population loves it. the squirrels have now largely abandoned the effortful and time consuming practice of peeling black walnut husks like the one above, and instead have taken up residence inside the chicken run, and occasionally inside the chicken feed bucket. they stare at me from their little bucket house as i approach, weighing risk and reward, and eventually, when i actually open the door to the coop, waddling away sullenly, like an obese uncle at thanksgiving, awakened on the couch in front of the football game and asked to go start the car.

squirrel eaten walnut shell

saint paul, minnesota