For some weeks now, I’ve closely observed the brown birds at home
For I have been very fascinated by how they live their lives, alongside their little ones
My fascination begun right from the time when she was laying her eggs in the kitchen…. (Yeah…..)
An egg a day…. usually, before she begun skipping in-between
But that’s okay…. it’s nature, I guess
Photo credit: mypetchicken.com
Came the part of hatching the eggs
This is where my mind was most grabbed
I would see about two or three eggs there, on a warm grey sack, right next to the bag of charcoal
Big Mama would show up to her eggs and sit on top of them, for a while
This went on for a few days, every day, until the eggs were hatched.
On the final day of hatching, she simply rose up, with the heads of the little ones popping up from the egg shells and new lives were born
Photo credit: communitychickens.com
I noticed there was one egg that didn’t explode open
I didn’t want to ask what went wrong but I ended up doing so, anyway
I was told that this particular egg was a bad egg for Big Mama and that’s why she left it out from the other group
The truth in that, I can’t say much for I don’t know if I believed that theory but that’s alright…..
Photo credit: thefrugalchicken.com
The little ones
In their egg-yolk yellow colour
Small as they are
Making all these little sounds as they go about their business of eating the little grain, pieces of pollen, little ants and moving close to Mama
Photo credit: peggyspekins.com
Long before you know it, the colour on their bodies has changed to coffee brown
And they have developed what can be termed as baby talons
And the little sounds they used to make, back then, are much louder now
The distance they keep from Mama has grown bigger, now
Photo credit: thespruce.com
I don’t know if I should term that as growing some wings
But with what I’ve seen over time, is that these wings get clipped “by the authorities”
Photo credit: ourgreatphotos.com
As time flies by, Big Mama swells up, as she walks around eating the veggies and food
For the eagles will make easy food of the little ones
And her, as well, if she’s not very alert and careful
Photo credit: theheritagefarm.me
I describe Big Mama’s love for the chicks as Bluetooth – like
Passionate, soft, crowing, tough, aggressive and protective
And yet, this is the kind of love that doesn’t have a word coming out of the mouth
We, humans, imagine the sound she makes, to be crowing but is it, really?
I call it CHICKEN love ~
i love chicken and the eggs too
Haha…if you say so, Tito.
Thank you for sharing Chicken love.
We too have lots of hens sitting on their eggs until it hatches.
When the eggs hatch, the hen is ever so protective.
Love to see them scattered around the yard with those tiny chicks.
You’re welcome. Hehe, indeed, it is, Miko.
Fresh and farm grown chicken are the best and the eggs are yeees, the best tooooo.
Ooohhhhh…you don’t say, Flobby!!!!
Lovely, makes me reflect on my life and motherhood.
Aaawwww…. that’s lovely, Daima. Would you like to share with me, your points of reflection?
Made think of the tough reality of motherhood, the danger of childbirth and what o do if your child is born with a disadvantage. Also makes me think of letting go and growing up.
Hhhhhmmmmmm….that’s interesting. The very last sentence….”letting go and growing up”….how do you mean exactly?
You know how we drift apart from our parents when we grow up, going down our own paths and how our unshakeable faith in their knowledge and power fades away.
Yyyyeeeaaaaahhhhh…..I completely familiarise with your experience! It’s only when we are in times of “real trouble” that we seek them out.
How fascinating! It makes me want to stop eating chicken! Never researched much about it but it’s interesting.
Aaaahhhhhh….that’s lovely. You shouldn’t stop munching away at it. Eat your chicken RESPONSIBLY and treat animals well.