The Circle Turns Again

The circle of life--we all know it.  There's a death, and there's new life.  It's a balancing of things.  On a farm, the circle is something you get to see a lot.  There can be a lot of death, and there can be a lot of new life.  I lost my Ginger on Saturday.  Today, the circle turned, and I gained some new lives.

Ok, I didn't personally gain those lives. They belong to Daphne:

Or Daphne-False-Alarm, as I'd come to call her.  Daphne's been insisting she's pregnant since early November.  I'd put a nest box in, she'd make it beautiful for a week, then she'd destroy it.  No babies. She didn't want Philip Johnny near her, she'd grunt and complain.  Twice I'd done this, and twice she would make the nest, act all grunty, and then destroy the nest.  No babies.  I finally put her with Philip Johnny Bob after Christmas and watched the mating this time.  She grunted at him and denied him the whole time.  I actually had to hold her still for it.  Apparently, she does not find PJB attractive.

"I do NOT find him attractive!"

Weeks passed and nothing.  No nesting, no nothing, just same old Daphne.  I figured it didn't take, and wondered what I would do, since she can't breed Buckley (her brother), and she didn't seem attracted to PJB.  Maybe the convent life was for her?  But then I brought her in yesterday to do her rooing.  She's skinny.  But her belly was big.  And kinda floppy.  So I put my hands on her to feel, and there was a-kickin' and a-turnin' going on in there like I'd never felt since Ellie had her babies.  Yeay!

HOW does she not find this attractive???

When she was done being rooed, I brought her out, put a box together with the matty hair I can't save for spinning, and left her be.  She dug in the box, ripped it up pretty well, and made a mess of things.  But lo and behold, this morning, she made 6 beautiful babies.  Three are black, and 3 are not.  They are wonderful and squirmy and hot.  And mama is doing just fine. 

"Because I am all that and a bag of CHIPS, baby!"

The circle has turned again for us at Chicken Scratch, and this is the part I like the most.