Last Saturday I heavily pruned the cedar tree that the girls loved.
I did it in an effort to save their lives. However, they have fought the change all the way.
Well, except for Beverly….
She is on the left…Amy is on the right. Beverly was enjoying having the whole coop to herself. She would retire at dusk and settle into the coop just fine. Amy on the other hand is a little cranky. She is a beautiful hen…but she is bossy. She is also a little on the heavy side. She wanted to go with the rest of the girls and hang out in the tree all night. But she was just too “heavy” to get into the tree. She was always the last one to arrive on the fence….but couldn’t seem to make it the rest of the way up into the tree. She spent two different nights balancing on the barb wire fence, refusing to give up and go in the coop on her own.
We put a stop to that, she was a meal…..just waiting to happen. Billy caught her one night and placed her in the coop with Beverly. Oh my….you should have heard all the squawking when we closed the door. If I didn’t know better I would think it was Beverly…upset that she had a bunk mate.
So back to the limbs…..I sheared the tree pretty good so they couldn’t reach a limb and then climb into the tree. They walked over to me and watched as I cut. Each one giving a little bock here and a little bock there….I wish I could understand chicken talk.
After I finished cutting, I felt good about it, I couldn’t wait to count all the little chicken heads at bedtime….all tucked back into their safe home.
Dusk came, the chickens were not in the yard so I went to close the door. I counted heads and I was missing two. Doggone it….I marched back out to their favorite tree….NOTHING. Hmmm,,,,where did they go?
I finally spotted them on the other side of the fence in the wooded area….in two different trees. Billy was able to reach Maggie Mae, although she protested greatly, he placed her in the coop. Mara was beyond his reach.
She’s a pretty girl….and is really sweet…stubborn…but sweet.
The next morning I dreaded going to the coop, afraid of what I might see….or not see.
There she was…..waiting at the gate like a dog….wanting to be let in. I was amazed.
Next night, same routine……
I trimmed some more tree limbs on the other trees….but apparently that wasn’t where she was getting out.
The other night….I couldn’t find her…again.
Finally, I spotted her…..hiding in the tree again. I have to hand it to her…..she hides well. If you look real close….you can see her red comb shining through the cedar branches.
The next morning… she was inside the fence waiting for me to open the coop. Oh, I forgot to mention that we decided to move Laverne over to the chicken coop. She was staying all by herself in the pasture most of the time. Her leg is not a whole lot better so…we decided that having her at the coop would give her some company and maybe her presence would help keep predators away. Besides….. I can see her better this way.
So there they were….looking all cute.
She likes this new found freedom…..
But the freedom she so likes…..is dangerous. She doesn’t realize it. She sneaks off every evening around dusk….and goes where “SHE” wants to go. Little does she know that she is in the midst of predators. Billy attempted to reach her the other night. She clutched her feet tightly to the cedar branch refusing to let go. She was roosting just high enough that he couldn’t get a good hold on her. He decided that he would just have to let her be. Hopefully, she would make it through the night.
Last night we were leaving the house and wouldn’t be home until after dark. That always creates a problem. The girls….when they act right, go into the coop on their own around dusk. But due to the increase in predators this year, we shut the door behind them as soon as they enter. If we leave the house before dusk…then the door is open until we return. That can be very risky for the lives of the hens.
When we were about to leave Billy asked me if I wanted him to put them up for the night. I said sure….but you know that it is almost impossible to make them go inside before they want to. He said….Ah….don’t worry…I can do it. It just takes patience. I had to chuckle to myself…because …well….it was just last summer that the two of us were in the yard chasing chickens with a big fish net.
He continued to explain that all one needs to do is have patience. No running after them or waving arms frantically to herd them…..just patiently encourage them to move in the right direction. Showing them that they can trust you.
I watched carefully…..and I must say that I believe he has become the “Hen Whisperer”.
He approached the coop slowly……
Some hens decided right away to enter the coop…others darted around back….
He calmly went around the other way and headed them back to the coop door…..
They came back around.
He calmly and slowly got closer to them…..encouraging them to….take the next step….to just go on in.
And I will eat your hat if they didn’t go in.
Except for Miss Mara…..
It looks like he just might be talking to her right here. I think he had some special words……because
she decided to go into her home for the night…instead of the tree.
Billy closed the door and secured it with a big stick.
I couldn’t believe they were all finally back in their home. I could truly relax knowing they were safe and secure from harm.
I thought about this whole chicken thing. It all started when a predator started attacking the hens. They in turn became afraid, they made a choice to do things their way. To hide in the tree at night, not realizing that they were just opening up themselves to more danger.
Humans aren’t much different. Sometimes we think we can do things better than the way God tells us. If it starts with fear or whatever gets the cycle going. We don’t realize the dangerous situations we often put ourselves in.
I’m sure Mara thought she was doing what seemed best….but in the end she would have surely ended up dead if she continued in the tree night after night.
When I thought about us humans not being very different….this verse came to mind.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
I remember the patience and kindness of loved ones that gently encouraged me to go in the right direction. I thought…..I should be more aware of those around me that might need some love, patience and encouragement.
I love the verse from Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
When I hide God’s word in my heart, it is almost as if God whispers it back to me, in my time of need. Pretty awesome. I just need to memorize more….
Well…..I just returned from counting chickens….they entered the coop on their own free will tonight!
They were all accounted for….even Mara.
WOO HOO!!!!!!
I've Gone Country 