I knew this time would come soon. I’ve been taking photos every night. I’ve been looking for signs every day.
Earlier this week, Mama Rapunzel laid an egg, a sure sign her motherhood was coming to an end. The next evening she went into the coop with the other hens, not the new chicken shed where she has been nesting with her four babies for the past six weeks. She hopped into one of the nesting boxes in the coop. She seemed to be waiting for those babies, those babies that look more like full-grown hens now.
Yes, they are not babies. BUT THEY’RE NOT GROWN UP, EITHER! They only look like they are.
They didn’t come. They were out in the barnyard, utterly confused.
Ok, where is she?
They huddled together. They got up, moved around, and huddled some more. It was getting dark.
We have no idea what to do. No idea.
Ok. Another huddle sounds good.
Rapunzel came out of the coop and looked about. Molly Brown rushed her, “Hey, Mom! There you are! We were wondering where you went!” But Rapunzel didn’t cluck to them to go to bed. She just watched them. It seemed like they all realized something was different – something had inexplicably changed.
Mom, I’m really confused right now.
More wandering, more huddling while they sized up the situation.
Hey, it could be worse – we have each other, right?
Rapunzel patiently waited, then watched her babies jump into the shed, one by one.
Well, this is what we always do. I guess we should do it again.
Hey, wait for me, ok?
TopKnot came back to the door, sat down, and looked at Mom. It was a really, really long stare. There was a moment, a moment I was sure she was going to hop in after them. You’re a mother, damn it! But she turned and went back to the coop. She was no longer a chicken mama – her job was done. She left those babies to fend for themselves. Without her.
Take care, kid. I’ll see you in the morning. You’ll do fine.
Rapunzel has been the best mama. She protected them when they were little. As they grew, she taught them the ways of the barnyard. In the past week, instead of keeping them a bit separate from the flock she made sure they were ready to be around the other ladies. She let them get picked on – the beginning of finding their place in the pecking order of the flock. She took them into the coop and showed them the big girl food. She taught them how to be on their own.
Now they’re not her babies. They’re part of the flock.
Since I was expecting this day, I got a last photo – the last night they were all together.
This was Sunday. Awwwww.
I know they’re fully capable of taking care of themselves. She saw to that. I know she’s a chicken, and probably only working on eons of instinct, but I wanted to hug her. We’re both mamas, after all.
You see, I’ve done the same thing. We have three kids. And we have driven each of those kids, my eighteen year-old babies, to college. After all those years of preparation..we helped them unload their stuff and get settled in. And the next morning, we hugged them tight, then drove away. My instincts said they were ready, I had done a good job as a mama. And I know I will be their mama forever. But that one last look, the one before we drove away? Etched into my mind forever.
(Shared at Down Home Hop, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuesdays With A Twist, Maple Hill Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Clever Chicks Hop, Homesteaders Hop, Simple Saturdays, From the Farm Hop, Old-Fashioned Fridays, HomeAcre Hop and Simple Lives Thursday)
Beautifully written – thank you.
Love that you were able to document the entire process and have the last photo of all together in the box, lovely. So happy things are working out. My girls are still broody and the feed store is to have day old chicks come in tomorrow. Quick question did you keep your two mama hens together in the nursery with their babies or separate?
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Hey Jen,
That shed is divided into two parts. For me it’s nice to be able to separate a mama and newborn chicks completely by themselves for about 7-10 days. Then I let them out in the barnyard during the day and only separate them at night. Tonight, (they’re about three weeks old) I left the pop door open between mama and babies, and the teenagers. Everyone seems to be getting along!
Thanks Joan. I have sectioned off an area inside the coop and picked up two, three day old Australorps and will be putting them under Goldie girl tonight… Fingers crossed she accepts them. Next week my second hen will be in her third week so she’ll get her two, i think I’ll try keeping both mama’s and there chicks together. So exciting!
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Keep us updated! Good luck 🙂 My fingers are CROSSED!
Same thing happened over here and I was just as dazed! They still seemed so small to me but mama hen felt differently! Sadly, two of the little ones got eaten by hawks because they were often so far away from the group. Broke my heart. Thanks for sharing!
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You are such a good writer, I’ve got a lump in my throat and a hint of tears in my eyes. And yes, over those precious chickens… good chicken mama and sweet teenage babies! Great blog, I just found you the other day while reading another one (can’t remember which) and you are the very next to be read from day one to present. And it is like a present, the gift of a lovely ‘book’ just waiting for me to open it. I’m really looking forward to learning more about you and your wonderful critters!
Susan from Vancouver Island. 🙂
Welcome, and thanks for the kind words. I just tell the stories my animals tell me. I’m lucky to have great animals 🙂
Your charming post reminds me of a hen of my acquaintance who did not know when to let go. (we’ve all seen mamas like this, right?) She lived with her youngsters in Holland Park, in London, where birds of many varieties wander the paths and, with the resident llamas, scrounge ice cream and popcorn from passing humans. This little hen was a bantam and either her eight children were adopted or the papa was one big rooster. The babies towered over the mama and but followed her everywhere although they were fully fledged and had budded combs. One day I was cutting through the park to take a shortcut from my flat in Kensington to Notting Hill, hurrying because a storm was coming. I was at the chicken part of the park when a crash of thunder sent everyone scurrying. Banty Mama gave a loud warning call and the giant babies all stampeded to her, pushing and shoving to get under her little outstretched wings. She was born aloft by their fear, and, surfing on their terrified bodies, stretched her wings as far as they could possibly reach while the youngsters huddled beneath–at least they thought they were beneath. I love chickens!
Ah great post! Ironically I do that with my babies, since I buy chicks, and have hens only for the eggs 🙂 Show them the ropes, teach them, then turn them loose!
What a lovely post (as always). It never ceases to amaze me how instinct works successfully time after time. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Cath recently posted…Jul 7, Mocha, the hen who loved to cluck.
Oh – you made me cry! Good tears of course, when I remember taking our oldest son to college. When we drove away from the dorm and all six hours it took to get home, I blubbered like a baby! I was moody for a week! I promised myself I couldn’t call every day to make sure my son was okay – he needed to learn how to figure out his own problems – but oh did I want to! The second son wasn’t as bad. His eagerness to go off to college and get out of mom and dad’s house was a little offsetting to me, but I knew he was just ready to get out on his own. Our youngest? He decided to go to a college only an hour away, so it wasn’t as hard. Even though having an empty nest was hard in the beginning, I like it a lot more now. After reading your story I realized that my broody hen days are over, and I’m okay with that! Thanks.
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Hey Vickie! Sounds like we had similar experiences 🙂 I do agree, with a little time getting used to it, being an empty nester (if you ignore all the animals in the barnyard) is not such a bad thing!
Hello Chicken Mama! Love the title 🙂 What kind of chicken is Molly Brown? I have four 15 week old newbies purchased at a neighborhood feed/seed store. Black Sex Links were available and I picked out four. WELL, one looks like Molly Brown! My Honey-Child looks nothing like her “sistas” Maybelline, Prissy and Gladys. Maybe you can shed some light on this mystery!
Thanks for stopping by, Brenda! Molly is a total mutt 🙂 I got five eggs from a local farm for Rapunzel to sit on. The egg was brown, and I only saw the rooster. He was SPECTACULAR! Howver, only one hatched, and hello Molly Brown! I’m really, really hoping she’s a girl!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I’m hoping my “Honey-Child” isn’t a “Sonny-Child”! Whatever, it will received lots of love. Gorgeous creatures 🙂 aren’t they?
Incredibly sweet! I love the way you made the parallel with your own children. There’s something universal about mothering, isn’t there? 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Found you at Clever Chicks!
Kim {Pinspired Home} recently posted…Sloppy Joe Zucchini Boats (Or Yellow Squash)
Awww, this was so beautiful. I guess this is something I have to look forward to when I finally have my coup.
Maria @ The Good Life recently posted…A LITTLE CELEBRATION // TENNESSEE CIDER PEACH ICE CREAM
Beautiful … just beautiful. Thank you for sharing at Simple Lives Thursday; we hope to see you again this week.
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