The Resurrection of a Chicken
From my son Stephen, another from Nevis. Slightly revised and with a photo to come. UPDATE Here it is complete with bald spot.
The Resurrection of a Chicken
Being a chicken farmer, I bought a new batch of chicks, laying hens.
They flew in on a plane from Barbados to Nevis. Hybrid Rhode Island Reds.
All healthy chicks, 3 days old. The chicks grew so fast, who would know?
Within three months the pullets needed to go the the bigger pen.
Separated from the big chickens, yes, for one month, looking good, getting a glow.
I opened the gate, and tried to acclimate them, and then?
Did it go smooth? No! The old laying hens, became aggressive and attacked the young pullet hens.
I ran down to the pen to see what was happening, and felt like ringing their heads.
Quickly I separated them in two pens, yet one pullet was left behind.
I did not notice for awhile, until I looked down to see what was happening,
what I had missed.
The young chicken was being pecked to mince.
I snatched up the poor fowl and brought her up to my young chick house.
I bet my friend 1 dollar that she would not perish.
Ugly and wounded-looking, lying on her side,
I thought deep down she would most likely die.
I left food and water and hoped for the best,
and went to bed, for the night. I did not cry.
The next morning, much to my surprise the hen was alive!
Walking, drinking, and eating the food.
This, of course, put me in a better mood.
Days passed by and the pullet grew healthy
and in months grew into a decent laying hen, although, a strange looking
head with feathers sticking out on one side of her head which made me coin the name,
Rasta hen, if it sticks, time will tell.
Sure enough, every day, that chicken lays an egg, every single day, seven days a week,
a big brown egg will always sell.
Now, at the crack of dawn, when the rooster crows, that hen follows me around.
Up and down steps, in and out of buildings, like my best feathered friend.
A true hen friend that I know, and when laying an egg, makes a particular sound.
My chicken friend, is OK, but I have to say,
The best layer hen I have here today,
a big brown egg laid every single day.
Stephen F. Rose
