THE GHOST CHICKEN RETURNS!

A few weeks ago we had 16 chickens! 16!! This was awesome cause its the most we have ever had and I have worked and worked with these chickens to make the pen nice and safe.  We have been through many chicks (sad face) cause in the past we haven't had the best lots.  From old dog lots to just any thing that we could rig up to try and keep them contained.  Ok so I'm a lover of animals and when other strange animals want to eat my animals the mama side of me comes out and wants to protect my little ones.  So I go in to crazy mama mode.  I try to start building things to keep them safe and for the most part it works, but may not look very good.  LOL

So my husband who sees me working myself to death feels sorry for me and he and my cousin puts up a huge lot.  Like a acre worth and fences it in for the dogs and chickens.  So now we have a cute little coop and lot.  Still I have a problem with varmints trying to take my animals.. Like fox and coyotes wanting to run up and down the back edge of the lot.  So, after many nights of waking to hearing my dogs bark and me walking around the edge of the fence with a gun at 2 am, I talk with my daddy (the farmer) and he says lets put hot wire around your lot like I do the cows and fry those bad boys if they try to take your birds!!! Sounds like a plan to me.  So he and I and my boys run the wire and now I have a prison proof lot!! Yes baby, come on fox lets see how you do now!?!

Ok this is the funny part, I work all this time fixing, working, sweating, trying to keep all the animals from coming IN right???  But didn't really think about the birds trying to get Out! The dogs and chickens are connected.  With a small fence running down through the middle so the puppies won't chase the chickens.  Cause you know that would be to fun for them to resist!

As you can see in this picture we have wire everywhere.  So first thing, the chickens learn that they can cross over the middle fence go in to the dog lot and come out the door when the dogs are out and be free birds! Then second, once all the fence is done we left for the beach and hawks start swooping in and got one of our baby chicks from last year!! I tell my husband I give up! I slap give up! 

Your talking about Red Neck.... I was so mad, I sat on a bucket with a gun for over 2 hours waiting for one of those birds to come back!  Whats so bad is that my aim from nervousness would make me miss and I would be better off throwing the gun at the bird than I would at shooting it!  So while I'm at the beach my wonderful brother and mother(knowing my love for the animals and that I would freak out if I knew this had happened) decided to tie tobacco twine from one side of the fence to the other to keep them from flying into my coop.  (that's why you see a million strings in the picture above)

So back to the Ghost story, sorry I'm so long winded but if I don't explain you miss some of whats going on here! 

So, we have everything tied up, closed up, strung up and yet I go out to feed my chickens about 2 weeks ago and realize, something is missing!!!! Yes, one of my little grey bantams is gone!! What??  I knew that another hawk was gonna get her cause she kept leaving and coming through the dog lot to go scratch for those worms on the other side of the fence...dog gone it!

 I tell Jonah, I knew this was gonna happen.  So we just decided to except the fact she was gone!  We looked all around the property, down into the fields everywhere, no trace, no pile of feathers, nothing. At least 3 weeks goes by and the morning of the big snow, I'm walking through my kitchen in the morning and what do I see running from one side of the fence down to the dog lot back in to the chicken coop to get food???? The Ghost Chicken! She has returned!!! I woke everyone up with my surprise because of course I couldn't contain myself.  

We watched as she ran in got some thing to eat and drink and then left with a rush, but where to??? We couldn't tell... So we were on a mission to watch for her again but only Emma Grace was able to catch a glimpse of her running wild feathers one am and said she was headed under the storage building.  

Ok, so you wanna talk about camouflage!!! I looked under the storage building 3 times! Then on Friday morning I looked for her for over a hour thinking, its time!  If she has a nest its about time they would be hatching!!   I was worried, worried about the cold, worried about food and water they would need, and worried that some wild varmint would get them!!! Ahhhhhh!!! 

So,

after lots of walking and no chicken, I decided that I just would have to trust that the Lord would take care of it....(as if he couldn't) Ugh.... this is so much like my life!!! I think I can do it better than him(not really, but my actions are like I think that) and I try to carry this heavy load,  like ok...this is heavy.....but I'm making it Lord... seee... .ughhh (bam, hits the floor!)

So now to Present Time: Me and the girls run to Dollar General yesterday(Monday) to pick up a few things, and Jonah calls screaming in the phone, "Mama, Mama, you aren't gonna believe this!" He tells me to come home that he walked by the storage building and out walks this mama bird with a ton of chicks!!

God Is So Good! Right?! I mean, how many times in a day can he remind me of his promises? Promises to care for me, never leave me, provide for me, feel the same things I feel..... on and on.... So of course I go into total freak out mama mode again and this time we board up a place in our storage building, cover it with hay and place them inside where no animals can get them or harm them... I said we are gonna do it right this time! But you know, really???? Its all in Gods hands, even if I don't know what to do, he does! He knows every feather(hair), every need(food and water), he knows all these things. We just have to have faith!!!!!

They were a little scared at first! I don't know why, I mean it was only 6 of us freaking out trying to make things comfortable for them! LOL

Ok, so when we get stressed we hide under our mamas! No lie, if I could still do this I would! 

She has 2 on her back but the other 8 are under her... She had all 10, through this winter storm, had them with her and ready for food when we found them! I love farm life, I love our Ghost Chicken, I love Gods Many blessings!!

That's All Folks!!