I knew that when our family decided to take on raising a flock of chickens that it would be a bit of a challenge for this city girl, but I have slowly been getting my bearings around these beautiful birds. We currently have 7 girls and they are really quite fun to have clucking around the yard.
Last week though I learned a powerful heart lesson from one of my favorite girls. Oy, she is our only Arucanna and is a bit shy and well mannered. My husband would pet her at night when he closed the coop and she would coo softly. Really a nice bird - who also lays those coveted green and blue eggs.
Well, last week I walked outside and spotted Oy by the coop and as I watched her walk away I noticed that the entire back end of her was bloody. I went in for a closer look and she just kept walking away from me, so I went in to call some of my more seasoned chicken friends.
I first called N. She is truly a chicken whisperer and has a way with birds that is awe inspiring to watch, but she didn't answer.
Then I called J. and he said that Oy probably was attacked by an animal and I could either kill her or she would slowly die. Neither proposition sounded great, but going to the vet wasn't reasonable either as a chicken is somewhat a disposable farm animal and the vet bill would be equivalent to an entire flock of birds plus all their food for a year.
I hung up rather despondent and called my husband to let him know that Oy might not make it and to say I was so sorry. No answer from him either, but I didn't expect one. I had just called to connect with someone who might care as much as I did about our little bird.
Then N. called back. She was driving by and would stop at my cottage. She got out of the car and slowly rounded Oy up. After looking at her backside it was apparent that all of her innards (intestines and such) had been pushed out of her vent... so basically her insides were out. N. lovingly and gently pushed them back in. Yep, she pushed them back in and we put little Oy in a cat carrier for the night unsure if she would make it.
Well, a week later she is running around with her feathered friends as good as new. A miracle if I ever saw one.
So, what was the heart lesson -- I realized that there are always versions of events. We can make up any ending that we want. We can kill the chicken, let it die, not respond at all or heal it through gentleness. So, when life happens, as it does everyday, we can meet it with any set of eyes that we want to. It is truly up to us. Any of those outcomes would have been fine - some more painful or sad, but really any of them would be fine and it is not being attached to any of them that we can be free of the worry and anxiety of any situation.
Really, I am seeing how we make things worse by projecting our outcomes on everything. We don't know what is going to happen so why not just be open to that.
Thanks, Oy! And thank you to J., N. and my husband too.
