Morning Coffee with Chickens

My mom works night shift so her mornings are hers to do with as she likes. Her routine was to feed all the animals, let out the chickens and then drink her coffee while they foraged. I was always jealous of that.

Before I decided to become a full time entrepreneur, my start time for work was 6 a.m. The chickens weren’t going to come hang out with me while it was dark outside.

Today, as I write this, I am enjoying my coffee in a festive snowman mug watching the chickens forage. I can see the goats and the goat rooster, Blondie, eating their hay and seed. Birds are chirping and flying around above. I can hear the fountain in the pond trickling and the goldfish coming to surface occasionally. Tango, one of our outdoor cats, lays in my lap meowing and kneading the air. And of course the chicken noises. Bandit lays by my chair watching the road, waiting for another walker to go by so he can run up and bark at them.

Blueberry and her berries love to forage in the pen while the chickens, who actually live in there, forage outside. The babies are still small enough to fit through the fencing so while the gate is closed and hens are away; Blueberry is outside the pen and the babies are going back and forth. They are becoming very independent chicks. It’s the cutest thing seeing them each fly up into the low hanging branches of the fig tree that’s in the chicken pen. Those who can’t quite get up there yet make a row and hunker down together. The baby berries are getting so many feathers now, we are starting to guess what their adult colors and patterns will be. They still have a cute fuzzy head like when they were first hatched. They grow up too quickly. Soon enough, they will be laying eggs and crowing (AKA “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO”).

I am so grateful my experiences and decisions have lead me to enjoying my mornings exactly how I like. It wasn’t always easy and I had no idea this would be the outcome. I eagerly await my next desire coming into my life.

-Cassidy