It doesn't rain but it pours... I have years of no chicks when I wish for them and then, there are years like this. I want to down size but nay... Mother Nature and the Great Hen have other ideas. However, they are so cute, who am I to complain?
So, when you have chickens you realize a few things, some faster than others. One of the things I learned quickly is that, just like people, there are variations in personalities in the flock. This hen: is without a doubt, my favourite. She's a lovely, inquisitive sort with a steady personality.
Today, whilst I cleaned the coop, all of the other curious critters followed me in and scattered when I started tossing the new bedding around. Not this one. As usual she first looked at me as if to advise me I'd disturbed her peace and then went about scratching and pecking around. With the second armload of bedding, she didn't even look up. She just fluffed up her feathers, shook off the random bits that stuck to her, and continued on.
Well that was a surprise. Mama had been on her nest diligently but it's been three weeks already? I'm glad I'm home today to see who else shows up.
In addition to The Cuteness, these chicks represent a new phase in my smaller living scheme. My hope is to go another step back and have on farm hatched/raised chicks so I can stop buying from hatcheries. Our last hatchery order had a bunch of chicks from good brooding/mothering breeds in the hope that this will happen.
Ultimately, I hope to
It's not that I don't appreciate hatcheries, of course I do. But, it's one more thing I can do for myself, which is awesome. It's also another step back from commoditizing living beings - something that doesn't feel ok to me.
Of course, in my usual way, I may have overdone it as I now have two muscovies (ducks) and four hens on nests. Sigh. If you ask the people who know me, that sums me up in a nutshell - feast or famine! The first crop of chicks were a surprise. Momma just arrived with eight chicks in tow. Cornish hens, gotta love them!
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AuthorI'm a 40-something writer and smallholder living in the wilds of BC with my family, our small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Archives
August 2017
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