Category: chickens (Page 6 of 12)

Spring time generally means new life time, and the Lord has graciously granted our first three hatchings of chickens this year!

This is group #1, 9 hatched and 9 still going!

And this is group #2 in the mini chicken tractor, 7 hatched here and all still healthy!

And this is group #3. This was a more interesting one, in that, the first mommy sat a whole brooding cycle and nothing hatched out. And so, we put under her another dozen eggs. She made it two weeks (out of the three-week cycle), became unbroody, and chicken-scratched her eggs all over. Well, we got her out of there and put on the eggs another broody hen we had, and she’s the one that finished them out. She hatched out 4 in total, but sadly the 4th little tiny one I think got stepped on as it looked like its little belly was opened up. Even more sadly for me was when I got out to bury it, after me closing its eyes, it opened them — oh no! It was still alive, gasping ever so slightly for air. But I figured it was too far injured and gone, so I decided I should give it the coup de gras (act of grace). It’s still always difficult for me to take the life of a gift from God that we try very hard to take care of. It’s apparently part of animal husbandry though at times.

But, the other 3 are still doing well!

And here is a video of all 3 groups:

As always, we are thankful to God that He grants the chicken flock to continue in this perpetuating manner. May they be used for His glory and the benefit of His Church!

— David

The Lord graciously granted another 4 rounds of chicks to hatch out — our 6th through the 9th of this year!

This is group 6:

She actually hatched out 9. Sadly, this mommy was very over-reactive to everything, and I think she ended up stepping on several of the little ones. We lost 5 that first day, and 1 more the next, several of which had openings through the skin in their little bodies exposing their insides.

They’re so tiny…

One of the 3 left also got out one day and got its foot caught in a mouse trap! I found it running around with it attached. I was worried it might lose all use of its talon, or get gangrene, but over time, God granted it heal, and it’s running around now like nothing happened. We’re thankful!

Group 9 obviously had some interesting things with it, but as for the rest of the groups, things have gone very well, save maybe 1 or 2.

Here is group 7:

And group 8:

And group 9:

At one point, I pulled the mommies from groups 6 and 7 and put the 3 from group 6 in with group 7. A few days into it, I heard frantic cheeping from their room, and when I got back there, I discovered one of them had been basically scalped, I assume by the others. I figure it got pecked at, it caused an opening or blood to show, and then its little head became a target.

But, it’s not dead yet, and so I moved it into the empty room and have been coating its skull with Neosporin morning and evening, and we pray maybe God would grant it healing.

I’m calling it Scalpey: 🙂

Finally, here is the video of all 4 groups. Look for one mommy’s extreme closeup moment! 🙂

As always, we are grateful to the Lord for granting any chicks, and the continued provisions from Him in this way!

— David

The Lord graciously granted again two more hatchings of chicks this 2016!

I believe this is #4:

And then this would be #5:

And here is both groups’ video:

As always, we are very grateful to God for these provisions, and their continued health and safety!

— David

Apparently the memo went out as several of our hens started getting broody this 2016! Sadly, the first mama stopped after 19 days (out of 21) and nothing hatched out. But the next two hens went to completion, and God graciously granted they each hatch out a set of quite a few chicks!

Here’s group 1. Sadly, yesterday I decided best to give a coup de grâce to one little one barely alive, but all of the rest are doing well it appears!

And group 2, all present and accounted for!

Then, one evening, one hen showed up walking around the open area in front of our barn with four chicks in tow! Surprise! So, we gathered them up and put them in the mini chicken tractor:

And here’s a video of all three groups:

We are always very grateful to God for the perpetuation of the flock, and the egg and meat provisions He grants from them! Here are some from the other day ready to be made into some chicken tortilla soup:

Again, we thank the Lord!

— David

One afternoon, I was looking east out toward our chicken pen area and saw a hen with some little birds around her. My first thought was that some small wild birds were just hanging around her, but then thought, “Wait a minute….I wonder….” And sure enough, it was a mama hen with three little chicks in tow!

It always amazes me how a hen makes it out in the woods for three weeks sitting on eggs with hazardous critters running around to end up hatching some out. God knows though. 🙂

And so, we rounded them up and put them in the piano room, and they’re all three still healthy today!

Here they are:

And their video:

We are grateful to the Lord for granting this bonus hatching, His watchful eye on them the three weeks in the wild, and His continued granting of their health and safety!

— David

The Lord has continued to grant some more chick hatchings this year, our tenth and eleventh! Both have an interesting story…

For these ones, the mommy sat for two rounds (6 weeks) before some chicks hatched out. We had her in the mini-chicken tractor, but I wondered if it was maybe too hot in there during the summer, so we moved her into the summer kitchen, and thankfully (I was hoping for at least just one so she wouldn’t try to sit another round) she did hatch out some — five in total! And thankfully all five are still going today!

And here is their video:

For this eleventh group, she hatched out five in the piano room originally, but then one day there were only three left, no bodies. Hm…with this one I thought maybe there was a snake about as we’ve had problems with them in the barn this year with sitting mamas. So, I moved these ones into the mini-tractor, and when I went back into the piano room, sure enough, I found a snake in the corner. Arg.

But, God’s will was we have the three, and all three are also doing well today!

And this is their video:

As always, we are very grateful to God for His continued gracious granting of these farm and food provisions!

— David