05/07/2023
Just Swingin' with a Chicken
While all of our chickens are more than livestock to us, this little hen has a special place in our hearts. Here is her story:
Forrest arrived at the post office on June 15, 2022 as a two day old Plymouth Barred Rock chick. She was ordered from a hatchery, and shipped with her "friends" on the day she hatched. Upon arrival, she was much smaller and weaker than the others. She had to be syringe fed for her first 3 days. There was clearly something "different" about her. The other chicks would scatter when we reached into the brooder. She would not move, as if she didn't see us. She is not blind, although we thought she was at first. She was dumber than a rock, not really finding her food purposely. She would stumble on it, and peck it, but much of the time, she missed what she was aiming for. This is why we named her Forrest, after Forrest Gump. While she was gaining weight and growing, she was still much smaller than her friends. We hand fed her much of the time, making sure to give her extra protein. Eventually, she was doing well enough to eat on her own. Thankfully, none of the other chicks ever bullied her, which is often the case when there is a smaller, weaker chick in the flock.
Soon, it was time to move all the chicks to the barn and begin training them to move to and from the chicken tractor. This meant that they were fed twice per day, and were able to forage for themselves between feedings. They needed to learn to associate us with food. With 22 "siblings," it was difficult for her to get a "spot at the table,” so I would pick her up and hand feed her while the others ate their fill. She seemed to appreciate the gesture enough to expect it.
Now, Forrest is full grown, and still smaller than her other two barred rock sisters of the same age. She is still "special" in more ways than one. Her name still fits her, but she now holds her own in the flock. She is a fantastic layer--nearly 1 egg per day, and her eggs are large--just as large as everyone else!
For those of you that wonder, it's fun to swing with a chicken.
