Mother Hens

Because of a family emergency, I had to leave the house in a hurry. With two dogs on chains and the chickens free ranging and even with a fire going in the burn pile, I loaded up four half dressed children and left.

My dear friends who were planning on delivering a chicken pen the NEXT day, sent me a text and were delivering it now. While in route home several hours later, I received another text telling me that the youngest black puppy had gotten loose and Josiah and Daniel found him in the chicken pen with the chickens and put him back on his chain. They also noticed the mama hen and some of her five day old babies and put them up.

I was sick to my stomach. My new puppy is not a chicken eater but he plays with anyone he gets a hold of until they die. I had just released the mama hen from her little cage with her six new babies and put them all back in the big girl pen, so she could introduce them to the flock.

Beth has taught me to get those babies on the ground and in the flock as soon as possible. This lowers the risk of "cocci" and also gets the other hens used to the babies while their mother is overly protective and possessive. It is a win win.

Late last night I returned to the house well after dark. The mama chicken was in her dog crate and all I saw was two babies. I was very grateful for the two surviving babies. I thanked God for Josiah and Daniel! If they had not come over a day early, the puppy could have easily destroyed the entire flock.

This morning as I stood drinking my coffee and watching the chickens, I thought of the scripture.....'' how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings............" (last part of Matthew 23:37)

I am so very thankful to GOD for sending those precious wonderful young men to save the flock. Not only did they see the problem, they did everything in their power to remedy it. They put the dog back on the chain and they locked up the chickens.

I am not sure if some of the babies were hiding in the dark under a cinder block or in the dog crate deep under their mama's wings, but this morning five out of six of her babies are happy and alive and scratching around the coop. We only lost one!

Not only did Josiah and Daniel deliver a wonderful huge chicken run, they also saved the JoyHouse flock from a ruthless predator puppy who is on his very last paw.