A Mother Hen

I had so many plans today. I had planned everything out. I had made plans last week to do a recipe article today. I'd start researching recipes on Monday, shop for the items on Wednesday, Make the recipe on Thursday and write on Friday.

But life had other plans this week. Worked late, too tired, forgot to get something, you name it. So here I am, sitting on my couch watching NCIS with the farmer while eating Thai takeout. This is not what I had planned in my Lady of the Farm planner. But this is the reality, not the planned version.

Life as a farm wife can be a bit busy, but it can be beautiful.

Take today for example, I was out cleaning the duck pool at about sundown and the chickens were all beginning to roost. One of my new mother hens called "Fluffy Butt" (F.B.), was chattering up a storm. I walked over to check on her and she and her babies were all talking their "chicken talk". The babies all ran around F.B. as she tried to show them how to walk up the ramp to the coop. I watched her hop up the ramp and chirp for them but they just ran around the ramp in circles. They didn't understand how the ramp works. I watched her three, four, five times before she decided she was done trying. She came out of the coop and went to where her babies were. She plopped down and shoved the babies under her feathers.

I knew that was my chance to help her. I slowly and cautiously walked over to her. She attacks other hens when they get too close to her children. I let her see that I was not going to hurt her and with one swift motion, I scooped her and all three babies up in my hands and I placed the all carefully just inside of the coop. F.B. jumped into her nesting box and the chicks followed trying to hop over the nesting box side.

It's moments like that one that makes this life so much more worth it. A mother hen who was tired, aggravated and had given up any hope of being able to go to her warm nest for the night trusted me enough to pick her up with all three of her little babies and put them to bed. It's small things like that which make this farm life so much better & so beautiful.

Maybe I am the chicken whisperer. 😉