My chickens are confined to pens because in our neighbor hood dogs are roaming free and we always have several passing thro' our land but when I was growing up on our farm the chickens ran free and one of the jobs I was assigned in the summer was searching for the hidden hen nest.
Mother would say to me on a warm summer morning," go hunt for a hen's nest " and I would go gladly because I could be free of the baby caring chore and free to dream my day dreams.
You have to think like a chicken to find their nest or if you are lucky you will hear her sound her cackle as she leaves the nest if so you go search in the area that the happy sound you heard you can usually find a clutch of eggs.
If you can not hear that cackle you search in hidden dark places, under discarded old pieces of farm equipment or a fallen tree limb that has old leaves and sage brush in it. Another good place I would search was in the old barn under the cows feed mangers. I didn't like to put my hand in that dark place because of the fear of snakes but if I could see a faint gleam of white I would gather my courage and reach with my trembling hand for the prize.
when I had found the prize of 10 or twelve eggs I would rush to the house with my find and mother might make a cake for us or in the morning we might have fried eggs for our breakfast.
For you people who have never been in search of the hen nest I will say if you were able to find a nest with one or two eggs you passed it by and returned another day because a empty nest tells the hen she has been discovered and she will move her hiding place to some other hidden dark place because it is the nature of the hen to keep her eggs safe from harm so when the call of nature dictates she can set on the nest and raise little bright eyed bundles of fuzz to be guarded with her very life.
When the hen managed to hatch out a few eggs she stayed with them until they were two month or so and taught them all she knew about survival in the cruel world and I am sure she told her female chicks when you lay you eggs always hide them well from the long legged, yellow hair girl and no doubt she said to her male chicks you must run for you life when she is near or you will end your life as fried chicken.
when my mother was in her last year I went to visit one find summer day and mother said I have been hearing a hen cackle just over fence up near the foot of the hill, you go and see if you can find her nest for me and for a few fleeting moments I was a girl again as I climbed over the fence and went in search for the hen nest and returned to mama with my prize. I wish I could go in search for a hen nest for mama today and be young again for a while but alas I am old and mama has gone to her rest beside daddy.My hens lay their eggs in a chicken pen because they have not the options of the freedom of the wild places.
7 comments:
What a sweet, sweet story! I remember being a skinny, long legged, yellow haired girl looking for hidden eggs in Arkansas too. Thank you for sharing your story and letting me remember too. Carmon
Patsy, your little story made me cry this morn. I love you.
I don't remember finding nest like you....I think by my time Daddy had them roost in the lower part of the red barn and he had nests in there.....I do remember mama sometimes saying she heard a hen come off the nest here or there and we would go look but it was not too common.....maybe that is because I hated getting the eggs as bad as Gilbert hated touching the electric fence....
Patsy, this is a wonderful story. I enjoyed reading it. It's nice to have good memories of our mothers, not everyone does.
What a lovely memory, thank you for sharing it with us.
Patsy, You made me cry with this story about your childhood. I could just see you looking for those nests with the eggs. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your childhood memories - My Mom had so scared me about snakes, I probably would not have been able to reach in some dark place. You were a good daughter Patsy and I love you for it.
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