New Life

To kick off the week of Easter, I wanted to share with you some news that just hatched on Yonder Way.

We had chicks the old school way!

This hen has been sitting on her eggs for 21 days straight in her nest in a coop in the barn. The only time she has gotten off of the eggs is to eat and get a sip of water once a day. That's it!

I really think this is one of the sweetest things I've seen out here. This precious mama hen sitting day and night on her eggs- keeping them warm, anticipating the chick's arrival, and now protecting them under her wings. You wouldn't even know there were chicks under her at times.

Oh the imagery that brings to mind with the picture of our own Mighty Protector. There is no better place to be than resting in the shelter of His mighty wings. I've never understood that picture that is so often talked about and prayed for until now.

When we are under His wings we are protected from harm, there is comfort, it is our only hope for survival, and we completely disappear.
She has 18 chicks under her if you can believe that! Hens do this to keep the body temperatures up on their newly hatched chicks. I'm naming her 'Patience' because after that, she has more patience than probably anything I've witnessed.

This hen hatched 4 chicks a few weeks ago. Three of them made it. It will still be a while before we can release them out with the rest of them. We still have to watch for hawks and other predators. Jason went to move this batch from the barn to this cage, and the momma hen went 'ninja' on him. These hens are brutal when it comes to protecting their young.

Our bluebonnets are starting to come up. I can't wait to get pictures of the girls in them. I love them! This is a small patch that just popped up this week.

Here is a picture of life as a free-roaming chicken out here on the farm. Not bad!

Our piglets have to be some of the happiest piglets around. They get to live their days out on acres of land filled with a creek bed and.........

an ALL-YOU-CAN-STAND-BUFFET! We started these piglets when we got them on 100% organic grains specifically formulated and freshly milled for pigs and their nutritional needs.

I'll leave you with a picture of one adorable piglet. This little guy is my favorite piglet of all! I love his cute little floppy ears. He is a Duroc piglet. He does need a name though, so I'm open to suggestions. Let the contest begin!