And I really did not buy these beauties, but I strongly considered it! Aren’t they cute? They took me down memory lane.
My mom used to get hundred’s of wee chicks like this at a time and raise then from chick to pullet to layers to meals (the sad part).
I loved the babies and always wanted to keep one as a pet. But then they would grow into brainless egg-layers that meant chores. My love, sadly, lacked lasting power.
When they were awesome layers, it made my life difficult because, typically, I would not bring enough baskets to the henhouse for egg gathering. So, being ever creative, I started firing the extras at the henhouse wall. Target practice. Okay, and I may have fired a few at unsuspecting biddies.
Problem: The hens started eating their own eggs! Now why would they do that? It was a mystery for about two seconds till the wall check. The yellow streaks were a dead giveaway. I was busted. Big time.
I don’t remember what the punishment was. I may have even gotten a spanking. At least, I should have. And I only sank into that particular life of crime one season. I had learned my lesson.
Copper did not fare as well with his chicken sin. When our dog took off with a pullet in his mouth, Annie-Oakley-Mom got the shotgun and aimed over his head to scare him. Her scare was a perfect hit. The leg healed, and he never stole another chicken. (She was much kinder with me, thankfully.)
Like Copper, I learned my lesson and never took up egg pitching again, but I found other areas in which to creatively perfect sin.
A p r o n h e a d -- Lilly Green 
We are all intrigued now.
🙂
LOL I grew up with chickens, too. My most memorable trip to gather eggs was the time I found a ‘possum in the nest. That was interesting.
Ah, scary. Possums can be nasty.
My scariest episodes were with the few roosters that inevitably got in the mix. As they grew, they got mean. One day, my older sister and I were gathering eggs, and they attacked! She ran out and locked the door and left me to be pecked–at least for a few seconds! I think I’ve forgiven her. I may still be working on it a wee traumatized bit!!!
Loved this story!! Brought back the richness of childhood!
🙂
Loved this!!! You are so funny!! They are “brainless” for sure! God Bless, SR
🙂 I knew I would never make a farmer’s wife the day Mom tried to have me help “clean” a freshly killed chicken!
What a delightful tale! Loved reading about your young self hating your chores. Glad you didn’t get shot, too.
If I remember correctly it was financial punishment, which hurt almost as bad.
Wow! You got lessons in reality early on, but I love it that you continued with “creative sin.” 🙂
Another tale. 🙂
my parents raised chickens like that as well, but that was after I got married and they moved to acreage in the country. thankfully I was never there for “chicken killing days”.. I agree that the babies are too cute.
I remember Mom chopping heads and the hens running around squirting blood. It’s a wonder I didn’t turn vegan right then and there! My job was to dip them in boiling water and pluck them. Yuck. Pass the avocadoes!
I had the same experiences! My mother would wring their necks and I would have to pluck them. How did we ever survive?
AH….not my favorite warm and fuzzy farm memory 🙂 But if I was starving I would at least know what to do. 🙂
oh wow, I could never have done what you did.. you are a very strong person.
I remember the subsequent tutorial, pulling all the body parts out and naming them. The “lights” are the mini-chicken brain. I was not going to do this for a living!!!
Naughty!
I talked to my mom tonight, and she doesn’t remember it happening, so that either means I’m forgiven or it never happened. 🙂
As a kid we had chicken in our backyard – my job to feed and water them. Yes, when they ended up on our dinner table – I could not eat and used to order ‘takeaways’ instead.