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