There is nothing that symbolizes spring quite like a brood of baby chicks running around with mama hen.
Sometime in July, with frost still covering the ground every morning, and our bed still topped with two extra blankets, Birdie, our Oliver Egger, decided she wanted to have babies.
Knowing that it was still a bit too cold and not quite the right season yet, we tried to break her broodiness. We took away the eggs, carried her around, even gave her a chill bath or two. Nothing worked! This mama was determined to have her babies. So after some time, we acquiesced and just let her be.
A few weeks later and here we are, warm summer weather before spring has officially sprung, and the cutest babies running around with mama. And what a mama she is. This is Birdie’s first clutch and boy oh boy is she amazing. She never rests, constantly teaching, watching, feeding. Her instincts are perfect, which if you know anything about chickens is not always a given. Believe it or not some hens are horrible mothers. But not Birdie.
Signs of Spring
Other than chicks, and of course the soaring temps, signs of spring abound. From the peach blossoms, to the budding pecan trees and of course the roses…oh so many roses!
Spring is a time of celebration and renewal, full of promise.
However, I am not going to lie, today it feels as if the only promise is chores. The spring chores are endless! There are chicken coops to clean, seeds to plant, soil to be amended, fruit fly traps to be set, peaches to be thinned, new flower beds to be built. There are events to plan, cooking classes to post about, orders to make. There is the last of the winter harvest that needs to be processed: think kilos and kilos of beets to be pickled and jarred. The quiet winter garden makes way for the chaos that will be summer harvest. I feel a bit overwhelmed.
I hear my Ouma’s voice, “One day at a time, just take it one day at a time, my precious”, and every once in a while I sneak off to watch the baby chicks peacefully pecking about. They slow my brain down and remind me that nothing is too serious. Tomorrow the sun will rise, seeds will sprout, and mama hen will keep on doing her job.
They say you have to trust nature; that nature knows best. This year nature’s name is Birdie, and she knew something we didn’t: spring would come early this year.
