Somber

Richard finished processing the 52 Roosters on Friday afternoon. Yes, there were 52, where we thought there were only 50. Counting Chickens is a challenge.

The Rooster House and Pen are now empty. Where before we heard and watched Roosters practicing their Crows, Roosters establishing and reinforcing their peck order and Roosters chasing tasty Bugs, we now hear silence. The mood these days is Somber here on the Farm.

Hens are moving in and out of the Rooster Pen. They seem to be checking things out, but with little attachment.

Freddie, the Buff Orpington Rooster, seems to be a bit "off". He seems especially sensitive to the Humans getting into his space. Those 1st encounters in the past couple of days have not been pleasant. We wonder what he senses, what he knows. We are trying to give him his space. It is an adjustment for all of us.

In the meantime, we have 167 pounds of Chicken in the Freezers. Each Bird was bigger this year. While very healthy last year, they seemed to be more vibrant. We attribute that, in part, to the specially formulated food grown by area farmer Brad Whitaker. He just seems to know what the Chickens need after careful study and a lot of experience. We are grateful. I believe that vibrant energy will become us as the Roosters nourish our lives.

I stood outside the Rooster Pen on Thursday evening, watching those beautiful Roosters who were so full of Life. They were just hanging out on a beautiful evening. One especially big one with lovely red waddles perched on the Waterer. Another was practicing his Crow and he was quite good at it. I wondered if he knew it would be one of his last.

In traditional systems, it is believed that the Animals know that their intended use is to feed others. They are at peace with it. I like that approach. In return, the Receiver is filled with Gratitude toward the Gift, which is from the Animal and from the Creator Himself. Such a Gift requires a kind of honoring in every step along the way. It is the path we have set out feet upon as we have moved to this Little Farm. I like to think we have made progress toward this honoring, but we continue to learn and grow.