Rosie and her three chicks are doing well! Rosie is an awesome, attentive (and tired) mama.
If I have read the wings correctly, Rosie hatched 3 roosters. Sigh. So here is the bad news about male farm animals … you hardly need any. One male goat for example can “service” 100+ female goats. One rooster can manage a dozen hens and one drake easily cares for a flock of 5 to 10 ducks.
Too many males (especially poultry) will create all kinds of problems. They fight each other, injure or kill each other for the dominant position in the flock. They also hurt the hens and chicks. I guess it’s just too much testosterone for a tiny space.
Four hens live at Shepherd’s Gate Farm (with one bantam rooster who thinks he is a chicken hawk). So my darling Rosie is raising 3 little boys – that she won’t be able to keep. Oh my heart.
Life brings those ups and downs. We can shake off the smaller disappointments and refocus or go to plan “B”. Some losses are devastating. What do we do when the weight of loss or disappointment or betrayal threatens to crush our tender hearts and destroy our dreams.
We know the answer is to trust God – but don’t put the period there. Here is another perspective: Trust God with the big picture, the one you can’t see.
We limit ourselves by thinking of our timeline as birth to death. God thinks of us relative to eternity. THAT’S a bigger picture.
Our faith grows deep and wide as we learn to trust our Lord in ALL things for ALL time. He created us to bring glory to Him in all that we do. I just wonder how many people we will see in heaven because of our faithful actions and obedience to His call.
How we manage our disappointments matter. We are a testimony to our faith every day. So, I will help Rosie with this brood. I will celebrate her as she develops her parenting skills. We will enjoy the moments with these adorable chicks. I will do all I can to keep Rosie strong and healthy. And next Spring, we will try again for a hen or two.
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” 1 Tim. 6:12
