I woke up at 3 in the morning on Valentine's Day.
My thoughts probably should have been wrapped up all warm and cozy thinking about how grateful and lucky I am to have such a sweet husband.
Now, I do think this all the time, but upon waking up on this Valentine's Day morning my biggest thoughts were worrying about the chickens.
You see, the week before, one of my new hens started to limp.
This is not terribly concerning or unusual. Chickens have dainty little feet that they hurt every now and then.
I had checked her over and just thought she had sprained something. I was keeping a close eye on her to see if she improved.
On Tuesday morning when I went to feed them, I realized that there are now 5 of them limping in the same way. It hit me like a ton of bricks!
They had not been outside all winter, they were lacking the normal vitamins and minerals they need to be completely healthy!
Why hadn't I thought of this before?
Even the most well-seasoned farmers can have things slip their mind sometimes, and this is what happened to me.
Why, do you ask, was I so worried about these birds?
They're only chickens after all.
Well yes, they're only chickens.
Chickens that I purchased at two days old, chickens that I babied and cared for, and handle and talk to every day. Babies that I managed to keep every single one of them alive, which is quite something when you're talking about day-old chicks that are very susceptible to all sorts of problems.
I was very proud that I had managed to keep the whole clutch alive and I am quite fond of these chickens.
So why was I worried about them?
They're a part of our farm family.
Every life matters on the farm.
So I arrived at our local agricultural store 20 minutes after it opened on Valentine's Day morning, with my dog in tow, to buy medicine for the chickens, only to realize that I had left my purse at home.
So, why did I leave my purse at home?
I left the house in all my work clothes and I never take my purse when I'm in my work clothes, why do I need my purse in the barn?
So again, with the dog in tow, I had to drive back home get my purse and go back to the store. I had to find the medicine I needed as well as some medicated grain and Valentine's Day treat for the rest of the crew, just since I was there, and then headed back home.
After doing my normal chores, I added the electrolytes to the hens' water, and giving them their medicated grain, it was like offering candy to starving children!
They all rushed the feeder, lame ones included.
They knew they needed that food.
Then I had to put the medicine directly down the little beaks of the very lamest ones.
As I caught them one by one, pried open it's little beak, depositing a few drops of disgusting smelling vitamins in its little mouth, most of them recoiled, trying to spit it out, wiping their beaks in the bedding.
Obviously not like the taste, and who can blame them?
Judging by the smell it was not very appetizing.
I had one little hen, who drank it down like it was candy!
She was the only one who liked it, I told her she was crazy!
As I moved on to do other things, one of the hens shook her head, splashing vitamins from her little chicken's beak right onto my lips.
It was disgusting, and it's my least favorite part of farming!
I have ingested many vitamins minerals and medications from all of my animals because they do try to spit them back up. Here's the thing, I should know to do, keep my mouth closed.
Hope you had a good Valentine's Day love from the farm
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