I'M OFFICIALLY A CHICKEN FARMER!!!

Well, sort of... 

See, we were out at the farm today shootin'.  Got new guns. Me, Dad, Tony, and Adam.  Dad had to sight in some new scopes on his deer rifles. We had a coupla new handguns to practice on so we set up some targets down towards the pond so we wouldn't shoot anybody over the next hill.

SOOO, anyway I was walking up to the house and I heard some "...paawwwk..." sounds in the front flowerbed where my rose bushes are. I thought it sounded like a chicken. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it WAS a chicken - a cute, scraggly little hen - I don't know what kind, some of you will have to tell me. She was a little shy, she'd come out of the bushes and come near, but I couldn't touch her. I don't know where  she came from.  We have distant farms around but not anywhere near that a chicken would want to venture as far as our farm.

I had some dried corn and lettuce and some dried oatmeal that I threw out for her. She seemed to like it, and she was also scratching around for bugs and stuff and pecking little weeds.  I put out a bowl of water for her and she immediately got herself a drink and went back to scratching.  She looked a little thin to me. She's got a good hiding place in the middle of all the rose bushes, but it might get cold. I figured she was probably a free ranging chicken so she was probably used to being out in the weather somewhat. But I had an old bushel basket which I turned on its side and put a bunch of hay in it for her. She wouldn't let me catch her. I'll go check on her after work tomorrow or the next day. I really hope a hawk or owl or dog doesn't get her. She's far away from home, wherever that is. I don't know what else to do for her. She'll probably be ok if she'll stay up close to the house where she is. If she hangs around for a few days, I'll stop by the feed store and get some scratch and see if there's a better shelter to be had for her at the farm.

Do people drop chickens off at country homes like they do dogs and cats? I wonder.... I hope she makes it! If she does, and if she stays at our farm, then I'm officially in the chicken business!  I've been wanting chickens for so long, but haven't been able to have them since we're not there every single day. Maybe she's telling me that it's time to have chickens or it's time to move out the farm permanently?  Only the chicken knows!