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Christmas is coming. Time is zooming by at a sonic rate. One more farmer's market to do. December"s coop drop off. Quail egg and Jelly tasting at the Gateway Market. Broilers to go to the processor. Several birthdays. Gifts to buy and wrap. Two christmas meals to cook, cards, decorating........whew! It makes me appreciate the time I spend out in the chicken houses, where I guess you could say it is a type of quiet serenity somehow amidst all of the cackling, crowing, gobbling, flapping, and honking. The animals all have their regular routines. I guess I find comfort in that. Every morning it goes like this in the broiler house. I knock on the door, Cy Snoodles, the Tom blue slate turkey gobbles and drums, the geese start their noisey cacophony, the rooster crows. I open the door and am greeted by Two Feathers (a three year old ameraucana hen from our last flock that became the favorite hen of all the roosters in one day and consequently had only a handful of feathers left before I rescued her from the little beasties). Two Feathers flies up and lands on my hand. Shadow the little black cochin bantam does his dance for me and follows me around for attention until I pick him up and talk to him for a minute. The 6 week old broilers all come to me for today's treats of corn, veggie peels, or scratch grain. This morning something is different. Goldnplump, our buff cochin is sitting on a pile of 50some, three week old broiler chicks keeping them warm. Makes me chuckle. Needless to say she can't cover them all and they spill out in a wide white circle around her. An occasional little white head pops out from under her buff wing and then snuggles back into the soft warm feather pillow. When she sees I have treats she comes over to get some as usual, but this time she is clucking and showing the baby broilers that this is a good thing to eat. Ha ! Like they really need instruction on eating! She snatches a piece of grain in her beak and delicately drops it in front of a baby chick. It is hilarious. I love to see this type of maternal behavior.
Our last batch of broiler chicks was mothered by our Peahen, Penny. It is interesting to see that maternal instinct is so strong. It is a deep warm feeling that chases away any cold that this winter might bring. I might add that Goldnplump is the quintessential broody hen in the typical Cochin manner. She hatched several geese last year for us. Our chickens got their Christmas presents early this year. They all got new heaters for their houses so they will stay cozy this winter season.
The geese are indeed getting fat but I might add that all of the turkeys, geese, chickens, etc are safe this year as we are dining on grassfed prime rib.Must get back to the whirlwind of the season's activities. Hope to post more again before the holiday, but if not, we hope you all have a super warm, happy holiday season!
