Today I learned another hard lesson in farming. Things die. Last June we got 11 chickens. We had ordered 27 but 16 died in shipping, so 11 was our starter number. We didn't think that was a bad thing because Farkle and I were both rookies in this whole thing. We had heard that baby chicks die and they can be hard to raise. We were blessed and didn't lose any. We decided to raise them as free range birds so that they would be as healthy and natural as we could help them be. We have a 12 x 12 shed that we turned into a coop and we treat them like pets. We had thought that we would be raising these for food as well as the eggs that they give us, but it soon became apparent that we would not be eating these birds...we got to like them to much. (There's a lesson there for our next batch of birds) We have lost 5 of our chickens to predators,4 to hawk attacks and 1 to Miss Kitty's dog. There is one chicken who has really become a pet. I started calling her ChickChick and she comes running when you call her name. She likes when we turn over rocks and other things for her. She eats the worms, bugs and spiders and moves onto the next rock impatiently waiting for it to be turned over. When I walk through the garden she walks with me and 'talks' away. I even find that I talk back to her. When I'm digging in the garden she's right there scratching the ground as if to show me "No, this is how you do it". She really is quite the hen. Well, today I went outside and I couldn't find ChickChick. I went to the coop and there she was. She was dead. I don't know how, I don't know why, I just know I don't like it. I don't like that my favorite chicken has lost her life. And, I don't like having to learn another hard lesson in farming.
We moved here to the farm last May and found ourselves in the middle of a drought. Our pond dried up, the pasture was looking like firebox tinder, the trees were losing their leaves and we didn't get to plant a garden. So far this spring, we have had rain, lots of rain, TONS of rain. One day I looked out at the creek that borders us on two sides and I could see it from my kitchen window...It was pouring into the pasture. Ok, I' had to remind myself,I'm grateful for the rain. I really am. As the creek receded I realized that it cleaned away a lot of the junk that the former owner had down by the creek. That's a good thing. (And we have our pond back)
Another lesson I've learned this spring, is that we need a storm shelter. We have had a LOT of tornado activity here in middle Tennessee and we live in a manufactured home. Today was another day of wall to wall coverage on TV for about 3 hours as the storms were knocking on the door. Another blessing was to be ours...lots of rain, some wind, and no tornado. For us at least. Neighboring counties to the southwest got hit. Again. Please pray for them.
These are just some of the things that I'm learning as we live here. Farmers are tough folks. They have to deal with a lot of stuff. Can I learn to deal with it also? Do I have the stamina to do this? Can I learn to lose more animals and yet have the gumption to go on and raise more? I trust that with the guiding hand of our Lord and Savior Jesus, I can and I will. I wouldn't trade this life in for one in any suburb in the world. Not even if someone bought me a house and handed me the keys. I'm learning about life as I watch the cycle of life right before my eyes, I'm learning that I'm made of some tough stuff. I'm also learning that to cry over a chicken is ok. I just have to remember to get up and move on as there is still so much to do.
