I had my first ever egg sale today!
It was a little odd, because I typically just give them away to friends and family, but it was a great stretch of my social skills and it was fun to talk chickens with people for while. The egg buyers came out not only to buy eggs but also to check out our chicken set up, in the interest of potentially having chickens of their own eventually. Wow, once you get me taking chicken-keeping, I can go for awhile.
One of the concerns the egg-buyers stated was the pain of loss when a “favorite” chicken dies, because “you are bound to get attached” she said.
I verbally responded in some appropriate fashion, but inside…it was a much longer answer than my simple acknowledgement of “Oh yes, we have a beloved hen buried underneath that tree actually, so yes, you’ll get attached.”
Anyone who has been to our house knew the presence Chip Beak had here. She was the Matriarch, the last remaining original hen brought home that we started our flock with, and thus far the only “sister” Luke and Logan have ever known.
Yes, you will get attached. You will do everything you can think to do, no matter how late at night/ inconvenient/ time demanding it is, you will do anything to keep your sweet chicken alive. You will treasure every moment when you realize she is not going to last much longer. You will cry until you feel like throwing up when you bury your sweet perfect wonderful girl. You will admire how absoutley perfect she is, as you lay her into the cold hard ground. And you will always, always remember the combination of flowers you chose to lay on her chest before the filling in the dirt of her final resting place.
Yes, you will have your favorite chicken. And it will rock your world to a level you did not know was possible due to one little chicken when she is no longer in the flock.
And you will feel crazy for loving a chicken so much…but you aren’t. You are a Homestead Momma, and to know to the depths of your soul that every life matters. The losses are heavy, the joy is abundant, and it all is worth it.
To your simple comment, my first egg buyers, you will indeed have your favorite chicken, and you will be disoriented and distraught when she is gone. Your homestead will have lost a huge presence, and you may feel detached from the other chickens for a little while after that, which is okay, because grief takes time, even to mourn a chicken.
Friends local to Tennessee- get yours here.
BryanHomestead 