A coupe of weeks ago, they went to feed the chickens and found Mary Frances lying on her side. She was dehydrated from the heat. They took her straight to their house, where it was cool, and placed a bowl of water on the floor. She drank and drank and drank that first day. But, she didn’t eat. The second day, she drank less and started eating a little bit. They offered her corn and chicken feed. The day I stopped to visit, and purchase some fresh brown eggs, my friends and Mary Frances were all sitting outside in the yard. I asked whether the beautiful chicken was their newest pet. That’s when they told me the story of her dehydration.
Clarice said, “She thinks she has her own private motel now,” and grinned. I asked, “Why is that?” Bill answered, “Well at night she comes into the house and sleeps in a cage.” Then I asked what she does during the day. They said that when they are outside in the lawn chairs, she stays close by, hunting for food in the lawn. She likes bits of grass, too, they said. When they are inside the house, Mary Frances stays on the patio, under the picnic table.
I asked how long it would take Mary Frances to fully recover. They thought about two more weeks, and then she would return to the flock and continue providing the fresh brown eggs that these well cared for, naturally fed chickens are producing.
When I think about the loving care my friends are giving to their chickens, I am thankful. And when I think how delicious those eggs are, I feel fortunate that Bill and Clarice and their 52 chickens are just down the road. And when I look at Mary Frances, with her beautiful golden brown feathers, well, she is just simply adorable. I was so glad I stopped by.
This post written by Pam Todd, http://www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com/, an avid animal lover, who is fascinated and loves learning about all kinds of animals. Pam hand crochets items for people, pets, and homes. She contributes annually to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee and provides gift certificates to fund-raisers benefitting animal shelters and rescue organizations.
6 comments:
The story of Mary
Frances makes me want to go visit Pam and have some breakfast with
her. Its always great to know where you food was and how it was taken
care of.
Mary Frances is cute as can be! Thank goodness her human family take such good care of her and their other chickens. Adorable story!
That's such a sweet story Pam. I love stories like that.
Oh I would love to meet Mary Frances! This story reminds me of the fun we had while in our last temp housing... the landlady had several chickens and they had such huge personalities! I would love to have some, but one of our dogs loves to chase birds and I fear the chickens wouldn't last long. Thanks for sharing this great story!
Thanks everyone. Her feathers are absolutely gorgeous! And I am sure her personality is precious!
When dealing with rats, always wear gloves and make sure to wash your hands after dealing with them. They can carry disease, which can get you sick. To clean up rat droppings and/or urine, wear gloves and a protective mask. Sweep up the dropping with a broom and dispose of them in a plastic bag. Finally use an enzyme based cleaning product to sanitize the area.
Post a Comment