The Rooster
and Mothers Day
Last October as I was preparing the
farm for winter, I noticed a hen hunkered down on the ground with her feathers
all fluffed out, not moving, not going anywhere. Seemed odd as it was a cold blustery
day and no chickens were supposed to be able to get into the yard. I kept
busily going about my business when, throwing a piece of blacksmith steel into
my pile of old steel, brought me close to her. To my astonishment I saw a
little yellow head emerge from under her feathers. Upon closer examination I
discovered eight little chicks she was sheltering from the inclement weather.
One of the hens unbeknownst to me must
have escaped the environs of the pasture
and disappeared into the bushes, nested, and hatched out her brood.
I hastily set up the brooder house
light in the brooder coop, collected her and her progeny and kept them in there for the winter.
They all grew up, four roosters and
four hens. One of these roosters has now become the new Master of the henhouse as a
weasel made dinner of the last one.
Now the strange thing about this
rooster is that he was hatched without a tail. He’s not totally bald, just that
he doesn’t have any of the plumes that sprout from all chickens fannies. Now for
roosters, whose plumes account for most of their beauty, this one is quite a sight, seeing him
strut around the pasture in blissful ignorance of his humiliation.
Now for the longest time I hadn’t
had a rooster. They aren’t necessary for the hens to lay eggs, but since having
one for a while now I have observed a few traits that are very intriguing. When
a worm or bug is discovered by a rooster, he gets all excited, begins to dance
around, chortling, clucking, and making all sorts of strange sounds. This
excites the hens and they come running. He then throws the bug to the nearest
hen. If its grain he finds he tries to scatter it about. If we throw scraps to
the flock he does the same, busily throwing morsel here and there to the hens,
keeping up his dancing and chortling. The hens come first in his eyes and he
does his level best to keep them well fed.
He also warns them when hawks come
flying in. Squawking and yelling, he tries
to get them to run for cover. And last but not least if his brother rooster
gets too close he lights into him, and there is a heck of a fight. So far this tailless
wonder is the undisputed master of the barnyard.
Mothers Day was just a few days ago,
and of course a Mother is so because she has bourn children. And what a special
relationship that is, Mother and child. Most of us know this from our good
mothers. Some who have wives who are also mothers see this daily in the nurturing of
their own children. So intimate is this bond that our Heavenly Father says:
Can a
woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if
she should forget, yet will not I forget thee. Isaiah 49:15
It is
such a pleasure to see my children gambol about the farm, enveloped in the love
of their good mother. I can’t help but wonder if us men took as much care of our
women as this good rooster does his hens,
many more woman would find the confidence to desire, bear and cherish
children.
Have a great day!
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