The Queen of Our Coop

When it became time for me to get my first chickens, I admit I really did not know a lot about chickens, I just wanted eggs and I knew mixed breeds laid as well or maybe even better than pure breeds and often were not quite as high strung.  I went over to a farm which did a number of chicken swaps, there were 5 chickens and I was told the price was 20 dollars for all of them.  Mr. Bootsie was putting the finishing touches on the run and a couple of days later, I drove to the farm and collected my mismatched chickens for a price of 15 dollars and now I am a chicken farmer.  These little hens did not let me down, in just a couple of days,  I found my first egg in the nesting box and now I really am a CHICKEN FARMER.  Little did I know this was to become one of life's lessons for me.

Mr. Bootisie and I named 4 of the girls, and my wees named the fifth girl, Feather.  My youngest wee would always ask about Feather when I talked with him on the telephone which always opened the door for more conversation.  Feather grew into an interesting hen, the coop became her coop, she was not a big hen but she had an air about her which demanded the respect of her piers.  Feather never became broody, I really do not think she could take time from waddling around the chicken run and keeping others in line, to sit on eggs and raise baby chickens. The structure of her chicken yard would change and she would need be get everyone in line once again.

Feather became the friend of the underdog, if a hen was picked on during the day, you would find this hen under one of Feather's wings on the roosting pole and the other chickens knew this hen was accepted and part of our family.  She would watch for several days and if one of the hens decided to move this hen down in the pecking order there was her protector taking care and teaching the hen how to protect itself.  Baby chicks, we all know about introducing new chickens to our flock, but Feather would lay by the fence of the brooder or duck run watching the baby chicks as they grew into pullets and roos.  Feather had no compassion for roosters after they came into their own, they did not belong in her run.  We raised a turkey which was hatched with some of our baby chickens and she would have nothing to do with it when it began to look like a turkey.  I had to move it out quickly because Feather did not want the strange looking bird in her yard and she constantly let this be known until the turkey began to shy away from all of my birds.  She did enjoy the ducks, would spend time with them and I think it was because I always start my chicks in the duck run because the ducks do not have a pecking order and allow the chicks to do what they want.

Laying eggs, I have not seen an egg from Feather for about 4 years, but this did not bother me.  Her compassion for the other birds made her important to our coop.  When the girls would be free-ranging, if I said, "Hawk" she headed for the run and all of my other birds would be following her.  She would turn the girls back if they went to far into the woods.  Making her sweet little clucking sounds, bringing my girls to a safe location, being proud of a job well done was always pleasing to her.

Feather has been the only one of my first birds for a few years and I knew the time would come when I would say good-by to my sweet girl.  She became more that just a hen, she become the one I trusted to protect all of my birds.  She became my eyes if there was a problem as she could hear/see a hawk long before me.  Most of all Feather became my trusted friend, if I was down she would sit in my lap and allow me to pet her for quite a while, 15 minutes was never a problem if I needed her.  She made me smile as I watched her cute tail swishing walk/waddle around the farm. 

Some you may say she was just a chicken, No she a chicken loaded with personality, love and the ability to care for all around her.  She got into my soul, she was the chicken I looked for each morning when I opened the coop.  For last few nights, she was the chicken I put securely on the roosting pole so she could be with all of piers, I thought she would be much happier taking care of her flock, but I saw them taking care of her.  They made a place for her on the roosting poles as she laid on the pole, they stayed close to be sure she did not fall.  As the days passed, she became weaker but each morning she came out to greet me, yesterday it was a struggle for her, stopping a couple of times to rest.  My girl made it to the coop door where I picked her up, loved on her and wrapped her in a blanket to stay warm as the day was damp.  Each time I went to the coop I would open the brooder and pet her, love her and enjoyed knowing that I have the privilege of sharing my life with this special girl. 

THE QUEEN of OUR COOP

         

Rest in Peace, my Sweet Girl
Came from an egg and lived on our farm until February 22, 2018

Triple Creek farm will never be the same without you.