Hen Chronicles: The U.S. Naval Observatory has the answer

Our three “girls” are spending more time outdoors these days. And the U.S. Naval Observatory, of all places, has the key to understanding why.

Spring may still be a ways off, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction, according to Naval Observatory data. Here in Augusta, Maine, sunrise will occur at 6:58 a.m. on Feb. 1, compared to 7:15 a.m. on Jan. 1. That’s a gain of 17 minutes in the course of one month.

But wait, there’s more. The sun will set at 4:48 p.m. on Feb. 1, compared to 4:10 p.m. on the first of this month. That’s an extra 38 minutes of daylight at the tail end.

All told, the day will be 55 minutes longer by the first of next month than it was back on Jan. 1, thanks to an earlier start and a later close.

If there’s one thing that’s predictable about the behavior of chickens, it’s that instinct tells them to rise and shine at dawn and to go to bed as soon as it gets dark outside. Longer days mean extra daylight and extra daylight means more active chickens.

That’s as safe a bet as Annie’s promise that “the sun will come out tomorrow.”