She Crowed Today!

I’ve been waiting for this day. I purchased five baby chicks from the feed store in March; “Hens” the sign read. Hmmm. . . that sounds easy. 5 little hens, fresh eggs again, and the ability to keep things small and simple. I needed to get back to my gardening and being outdoors where the real stuff happens.

They’re a good mix of brown and green egg layers. I fed them my own mix of scratch grain that I ground up in my hand grinder, and then added powdered milk for lots of calcium and healthy growth. No hormones or fillers here.

They have probably had more greens from my garden than I have. I let them out in the evening to scratch for bugs and stretch their wings and they are so happy. It’s one of my favorite evening passtimes to sit in the garden and watch them.

They should start laying eggs in another month or so. I’m very excited. And apparently so is the little rooster. She, he crowed today, and it made me laugh. (Young roosters are like young men when their voice changes and cracks.) They try to sound Awesome with their crow, but it really isn’t intimidating until they get more practice. I knew she looked different than the others as they grew and changed-more red to her comb, longer tail feathers, and just a little more spunk than the others.

I hadn’t intended to get a rooster, “I’m gonna keep it simple” I said. What are the odds? Five little chicks from a big pen of many: The sign said “Hens” but, I’m glad She crowed. Look how beautiful he is. And he loves his little flock so much; finds all the tasty morsels for them, keeps them rounded up, and someday that crow will be so intimidating that even the hawk on the fence will shake in his boots. And next Spring we’ll hatch out more chicks. The real things of life.