Despite my romanticized visions of perpetually gorgeous views with all sorts of beautiful farm animals frolicking about it’s becoming abundantly clear that real life often looks a bit different.
Case in point:
Country chickens.
They are a funky bunch.
They are brave and stupid.
(Stupidly brave?)
They escape the coop and get attacked by dogs.
When the survive, they’re usually missing at least a few tail feathers for their troubles and they walk around all rump bare until their beautiful plumage can grow back.
They get caught up on all kind of things while free-ranging…
Fencing, wires, branches, vines…
And tear their combs trying to escape whatever they’ve stumbled into.
Aside from the initial bloody mess, their healed comb simply flops to the side leaving them looking a bit tipsy into infinity.
They are mounted daily by the resident rooster…
Leaving their backs nearly bare of feathers and the psyches a bit wounded which often manifests in a super jumpy-ready-to-run attitude all.the.time.
Poor girls.
Love ’em as I do, they sure aren’t much to look at these days.
And talk about being a high maintenance pain in the ass…
I can’t tell you how many times in the last few weeks I’ve saved a chicken from her own self and had to carry her back to the coop for one reason or another.
Oh well, despite it all, I love them still 🙂
xoxo,
M
Poor hens, and the almost daily egg-laying ordeal on top of everything else! Ah well, the bugs they eat while they’re “on the lam” make their eggs so much the better.
I know! I feel so bad for the poor girls! Hopefully the delicious food, fresh water, and clean air helps make up for it all 😉