Greetings,Our Holy Week solemnity was broken with the cheerful peeping of a chattering of newly hatched chicks! For three weeks, Sister Margo (chicken whisperer) and Sister Virginia (chicken wrangler) carefully watched over the incubator of eggs waiting for the chicks' grand entrance.
Soon, they were gathering up the clutch of 18 little Rhode Island Reds into a large water-tank converted into an 'indoor coop'. The lively little Reds are quite busy eating, sleeping, and chasing both each other as well as their reflections.
The chicks have also been receiving some special attention. The indoor-coop is currently placed in the activity room for our care center, and our elders often stop to smile at their antics and visit with them. A few have even been overheared sweetly singing to calm them. After Easter lunch, another clutch of younger community members was seen enjoying the chattering while doing alittle chatting of their own.
As soon as the chicks have feathered-out, the brood will be moved out to the garden into the coop with a 'run' that can be moved to fresh grass each day.
Sister Virginia was preparing the coop this winter, cleaning out all the old straw, when she realized there were no feathers in the mix. It seemed odd to her until she disturbed two very industrious little mice! They had built cozy soft nests of all the feathers! While the chickens were away, the mice did play!
There as been some curiosity of our previous brood of hens. After a summer of sunshine, grass, and fresh veggies (and bugs) from the garden. The chickens had laid over 46 dozen eggs. Two surprised the sisters with double yolks! These garden-fresh eggs were enjoyed by our sisters in the care center. The hens (and one rooster) themselves provided approximately 63 pounds of home grown chicken best used in homemade chicken soup.
"We think it sufficient for the daily dinner, whether at the sixth or the ninth hour, that every table have two cooked dishes on account of individual infirmities,so that he who for some reason cannot eat of the one may make his meal of the other Therefore let two cooked dishes suffice for all the brethren; and if any fruit or fresh vegetables are available, let a third dish be added...Young boys shall not receive the same amount of food as their elders, but less; and frugality shall be observed in all circumstances. Except the sick who are very weak, let all abstain entirely from eating the flesh of four-footed animals" (Rule of Benedict Chapter 39).
Blessings,
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