Almost 3 years ago we got our first chicks. We’ve had countless experiences with raising our feathered friends. They have taught us so much. When we first got them, we knew nothing about raising chickens. While we had books and friends as guides, much of what we learned was simply from experience. Good old-fashioned trial and error. We made lots of mistakes but had a lot of fun too. We started with 8 chicks. Through various experiences we lost a few, but we still have 4 left. While they still lay eggs, it’s not quite as frequent and we decided to add to our flock. What better time to get chicks than when you are stuck in quarantine. By August we’ll have more eggs than we know what to do with again. We called the feed store with our order and then went to pick it up. They had everything except the chicks waiting for us outside. We paid and they brought us our chicks. I think the best part was seeing my daughter smile again. The smiles have been few and far these last few days. These chicks will need lots of care and love in the upcoming weeks and I’m sure she will be up to the task.
It’s funny how life seems to repeat itself over and over though. As I checked on the chicks for what seemed the millionth time, I was reminded of how I had that same feeling the first time. Would they make it through the night? What if something happened? What should I get ready next? Will they be safe? Will they be ok all alone in the barn? What if….? So many what if’s. It’s a lot like what we are experiencing right now with COVID-19. So many unknowns and what if’s. To make matters worse, there’s not much of a guidebook for this. Sure we have the examples of other countries that went before us, but not everything works for us in the same way. It’s going to be a lot of trial and error. I know I’m going to do my best to make sure my family and my community have what they need and give where I can. I’m sure there will be things I miss or didn’t know to pay attention to. Hopefully I can learn my lesson quickly and make adjustments. Rather than getting caught up in worry, I’m looking forward to the next stage where we get to explore the new reality before us and bravely chicken out.
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