Category: chickens (Page 1 of 11)

Group 6

Just the other day, I was walking a road here, looked left, and about 30-40 yards away….whaaaaat? A chicken hen with a whole bunch of little ones around her!

Oh boy… and Sue was in town…!

So, it was run and get a 5-gallon bucket and the fishing net to try to catch the mommy. (On an aside, farm hack: a fishing net to catch chickens, and a large one for turkeys….they work great! 🙂 ) Well, she and her babies were mostly in an agarita bush, and if you know anything about them, their leaves are very prickly.

But thankfully that didn’t end up being a real issue, as I started to gather the youngin’s and put them in the bucket. But mommy was freaking out, so I thought I should try to get her so as to lessen the chaos and potential hurt to the chicks, but when I went to try to net her, she took off like a shot. I tried chasing her, but she was really fast, and there was just no way. So, I went back and continued with the chicks.

Sue shortly arrived back from town, and soon started helping. After gathering up what we could, it was time to try to get mommy, and eventually with Sue and I working together, I was able to chase the hen down and put her in the summer kitchen.

Then back to the bucket o’ chicks. We continued looking, found a few more, and then I moved them into the summer kitchen with mama. I believe Sue ended up finding yet one more.

So, the final tally we believe was 18! Wow!

And, come to find out, it appears the hen was one that had stopped coming back at night after free-ranging during the day, so I thought she had been “crittered”. I thought it had been less time, but I guess she had been gone for at least 21 days. 🙂 And, the Lord graciously granted she sit out there all that time safely.

Sadly though, there was another young hen that had stopped showing up at night, although I saw her in the morning a couple of times. But then, I found a feather pile not far from the chicken pen area, and I believe her nest, so the Lord in His perfect wisdom decided she wouldn’t make it. We always pray they don’t suffer when this happens.

Group 7

Then, a week or so later after the 18 above, I was filling some chicken waterers in our orchard, and thought, I wonder if there are any dead chickens out here amongst things, especially this plum-tree area that has all kinds of branch-growths out of the ground, and then I saw a hen just sitting amongst them. I thought maybe she was injured, and when I circled to the other side….cheep, cheep, and a little chick in front of her!

Not what I expected, so I told Sue, and while I was prepping the summer kitchen for another set of visitors, Sue just started rounding everyone up, and we got them in there.

There were 6 chicks caught and one hatching when we collected everyone. Sadly, one died, and the hatching one didn’t make it. But the other 5 are still going!

Again, we are grateful to the Lord for bringing her and her young through those three weeks!

And now lastly, here’s the video of the two groups:

Again, we are grateful to God for the granting of these provisions, and His mercies toward them and her out there this whole time!

— David

Once again, the Lord graciously granted a hen get broody, and we put eggs under her in the mini-chicken tractor, and by God’s graces, she hatched out our 5th group of 2024 chicken chicks!

One sadly died fairly soon after that, but the rest are still going today, and we are grateful!

Here’s another picture of them:

And here’s their video. You can see it wasn’t yesterday they were hatched. 🙂 I think I’m planning on moving them into the summer kitchen to grow up some more due to their current quarters becoming more cramped, although I don’t like to take them out of a more natural environment. But, hopefully it won’t take long, and then we can move them back outside into the chicken pen area.

Again, we thank the Lord for Him granting these continued provisions!

— David

The Lord graciously granted another two rounds of chicken chicks this 2024! 6 from one mommy and 3 from another, both about the same time.

Sadly, with one of those hens no longer with us, I thought the other hen might adopt the other chicks, and so I put them with her, and thanks to the Lord it has worked out.

Sadly again though, I found one of them dead this morning in the coup part of the mini-chicken tractor, but we are always thankful for any God continues to grant.

Here’s another picture:

And here’s their quick video:

Again, we thank the Lord for His provisions of these new chicken chicks!

— David

One morning I walked into the barn and heard cheeping on the ground. Uh oh! A chick! So, I found it and rounded it up, and called for Sue’s help.

There had been a chicken mommy sitting up in the barn loft on eggs, and Sue had been monitoring them, but it looked like the little one I found had taken the 10-foot or thereabouts leap! But, thankfully it was ok, and we found the hen and her troupe up in the loft, reunited the chick I found, grabbed her, them, and the rest of her eggs, and put them in the summer kitchen.

She actually ended up hatching out one more I believe, and they’re thankfully all still alive!

And here’s their video:

We are always grateful to the Lord for His perpetuating provisions!

— David

The other morning I walked out to start letting the chickens out of the barn and the like, and I looked, and there was a chicken hen sitting in the middle of the open area near our main chicken tractor.

I thought, what are you doing out mommy? (I often call hens “mommy”). And, I didn’t recognize her as one that I usually put away at night.

She wasn’t moving, and was just sitting there, even as I got closer. I thought maybe she was injured, or in shock after an animal attack that she survived.

Well, I thought I’d better pick her up and take her to somewhere inside, and as I reached down, she stood up quickly, and then quickly, 3 little chicks started moving about! Wow!

Oh boy…now, time to try to get a hold of her and her babies. I whistled for Sue since she was in the house still, and she came a runnin’, and we were able to fish-net the mommy and gather up the chicks and get them into the brooder barn (summer kitchen).

Later, I went looking for a nest, and found some eggs next to a tree in our orchard and thought perhaps that’s where she had been…an extra graciousness from God that she didn’t get eaten all those 21 days (at least) sitting there. During rains too!

Anyway, besides the picture above, here’s another, and they’re all still alive and doing well!

And here’s their video:

We thank the Lord for this gift of these first 2024 chicks, unexpected, but again, graciously given from Him, and in the extra special way He did!

— David

We had a hen that spent all her days in our camper in a cubby area, broody looking for weeks and weeks. I think because she was in there, I just never thought to do anything about it, but then thought, why don’t we just put eggs under her and see what happens.

Well, sure enough, God granted she sit them through, and she hatched out her little clutch of 5!

We shortly moved them into the summer kitchen/brooder barn, and they’re all doing well still!

And here’s their video:

We are always thankful to the Lord for His provisions and granting these new little gifts!

— David

We had a broody hen I believe in the main chicken tractor, so we put her and a bunch of eggs in the mini tractor, and God graciously granted a 2nd round of chicks this 2023!

These are obviously a little older 🙂 :

We just moved them into the pen area the other day too.

Sadly, one has some eye problems, but has made it all this time, and hopefully it will be ok in the pen area.

And here’s their video:

As always, we are grateful to the Lord for His provisions, and we pray for their safety and health!

— David