The Minnesota Farm Woman

I have five new chickens this summer. Four are young ones that I have raised from chicks.  About the time I turned off the heat lamp and moved them out to the coop, the weatherman predicted some chilly nights. When I went out to check on the babies, I found them safely tucked under the wings of the meanest and greediest old biddy of the flock. They are now too big to fit under her wings, but every night when the sun  goes down,  they snuggle around her and she keeps them warm. During the evening when they are free-ranging, she keeps a watchful eye out for their safety.

The other new arrival is Big Boy the rooster. Although I have seven small banty roosters, my neighbor talked me into taking this one off his hands. I must admit I was a little worried about having a full-sized rooster around, thinking that perhaps he would be mean to the others.  Well, he tried to rule the roost, that’s for sure. There was lots of squawking and feathers flying as Big Boy let everyone know who was boss….so he thought.  One day the big guy came flying and squawking out of the coop like he was shot from a cannon, chased by Old Mum the tiny banty hen. Now, Old Mum is the smallest and oldest of the flock who fusses about and sits on her nest every day, but to my knowledge hasn’t laid an egg in the last year. She wasn’t about to let any big ol’ man take control, and let him know that right away. Picture Granny chasing Jethro Bodine out the door with her broom.  I laughed so hard that I cried and was glad I didn’t have any neighbors around to see me wiping my eyes.  They probably already think of me as “that crazy city gal who thinks she is a Farm Woman and she can’t even grow rhubarb.”

Each day in the coop, there are lessons to be learned. Strange as it may seem,  many of these can be insightful into our own everyday life.  We learn that parenting is loving and nurturing a baby chick until it can take care of itself and if you do that, it doesn’t really matter who laid the egg. We know that even the meanest old biddy in the coop can have a heart of gold when it comes to babies.  We could all learn a lesson  from Big Boy’s experience:  Never push around a chick who is in henopause.  She will soon let you know who REALLY  rules the roost. Now, if I could only get those chickens to grow rhubarb. I really need some life lessons in rhubarb.