Daily Prompt:
clichés
Clichés become clichés for a reason. Tell us about the last time a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush for you.
Anyone who raises birds, especially chickens can answer this question quite easily. The quick comeback would be The last time this cliché was True? Why today and everyday I have anything to do with those dim-witted but strangely adorable hens.
Every spring, once the weather was warm enough and the chicks lost their down and all their feathers had come in, we were forced to literally pick up every single little chicken and throw them out the small door into their fenced in run. As soon as they were off the slanted plank walkway, they tried to scramble back in. Since we raise free range chickens it was of paramount importance that they spend their days outside. In fact after about ten minutes we could not convince them to go back into the large chicken coop because they relished the weeds, bugs and scratching the dirt for tiny seeds and grain which we scattered around everyday.
Now this Operation DDDD Chicken Day had to be planned and manned by at least 6 kids plus myself. It took a few years to perfect our plan or attack on the cowering mass of chicken chickens. Nothing is more frustrating than catching a bird, while trying to herd out a couple more, only to loose all three. You must understand that we are talking about 175 meat birds, bred to eat voraciously . Our final method involved at least one or two children outside, preventing a mass retreat back into the chicken coop and also prevent clustering around the door Basically it was a crowd control issue.
Inside four kids held hug sheets of plastic to herd the birds in the direction of the hatch and I grabbed them one by one and pushed or threw them out the door. You cannot possibly imagine how many Ducked, Deeked, Dodged and Dived out of our hands. In frustration we often would try to grab two birds but trust me folks,
a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush
Melanie Jean Juneau is a petite wife, writer and mother of nine children. When the words "The Joy of Mothering on a Hobby Farm" popped into her head as a subtitle for her short stories it was like an epiphany for her because those few words verbalized her experience living with little people. The very existence of a joyful mother of nine children seems to confound people. Her writing is humorous and heart warming; thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong currant of spirituality running through it. Part of her call and her witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life, especially a life lived in God. My writing is humourous and heart warming/ thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong currant of spirituality running through it. Part of my call and my witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life, especially a life lived in God
Cute story. I can just see you and the kids controlling chicks. Thanks for the insight and the smile-worthy story!
it was a hoot..glad I could give you a smile
On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 8:20 AM, motherofnine9
My uncle owned a chicken farm in New Jersey. I used to spend a week there every summer. It was great getting away from all those crazy kids in Brooklyn. Compared to them the chickens seemed relatively intelligent and sane.
ha,, that is a riot
I think the next time I hear someone say double d’s I am going to think of this post and the quadruple D’s! Thanks for the cackle!
aye, never thought of that and of course there is always my BBB= Before Babies Body