Mother's Day

Mayzie's babies aren't so little anymore

It felt kind of ironic that Mayzie decided she was all done with mothering as Mother's Day weekend approached. The day I posted my last blog speculating that Mayzie seemed to be ready to return to the big coop with the grown hens, was the last day Mayzie stayed all day in the horse stall with the younger chicks.

I was doing some morning chores, and I left the horse stall door open, as well as the door leading into the big coop. I had done this before, purposefully, to give Mayzie the opportunity to choose which coop she wanted to be in...with the big kids or little kids. And that morning, for the first time, Mayzie decidedly strutted out of the horse stall and right back into the big coop. Her babies did not follow her. Instead they stayed in the horse stall peeping very loudly as Mayzie walked out of their sight. (It was really kind of sad to witness.) I left the doors open for a long time in case Mayzie wanted to return to her babies, but she didn't, even though I know that she could hear them. Instead, she enjoyed the whole day outside in the fresh air, dust bathing to her heart's content. (By the way, Mayzie re-entered the big coop clutch without much drama, just a few pecks given and received to reaffirm her status among the original seven hens.)

They grow up so fast

Mayzie returning to the big coop

She headed right outside for a long dust bath

The chicks cried as Mayzie left, but eventually they settled down.  These chicks were 4 weeks old, so a bit young for their mother to leave, but certainly old enough to be just fine on their own, especially where they have most of their feathers in. And luckily, the timing of Mayzie leaving them and the weather cooperated, and I didn't have to worry about the chicks being too cold during the day without her that week.

That first evening I went out to check on everyone. The chicks had put themselves to bed in their usual spot.  Out in the big coop, all the grown hens had gone up to their roosting bars to settle in for the night... but not Mayzie. I found Mayzie in the big coop pacing around on the ground. I decided to take her back to her babies. It was a nice little reunion, and they quickly settled down to sleep together for the night, these teenagers still trying to fit under Mayzie's wings.

Trying to fit her babies under her wings

The next morning was a repeat of the day before. Mayzie escaped to the big coop first thing, for the whole day, even though her babies were peeping loudly for her as she left. That evening, when I went to check on them all, Mayzie had actually gone up to roost with the others. I decided to put Mayzie back in with the chicks anyway. I felt better knowing they would be together at night and Mayzie didn't seem to mind. This went on the same way the third day, Mayzie left at dawn and went to roost for the night in the big coop. That evening I didn't make her go back to the babies. Clearly, she had made her decision, and the weather was warm enough for the chicks to survive the night without her. The next morning I went out to check on them and everyone was fine. The chicks did fine on their own and Mayzie did fine on her own. It was Sunday: Mother's Day.

For some reason the timing made it seem a bit sadder for me. That on the day that we celebrate moms, it was the first day that this little family spent totally apart. But I suppose this is an important lesson of mothering for all of us. Instead of feeling disappointed that Mayzie didn't stay with her babies longer, maybe we should be celebrating that she felt it was time to let these chicks be more independent. Mayzie had done an amazing job adopting these two little chickies and she was a great momma to them. And then she knew her job was done there and she moved on.

"The babies" doing just fine on their own

As a mom of two middle school boys, it's crazy to know that my job with them is almost done, too. Yes, I'll always be their mom forever, but my actual job of mothering my babies, in its truest form, is starting to end. I can see it on the horizon. I'm going to blink and it'll be here. They will be graduating from high school, going off to college, finding jobs, getting apartments.... We'll no longer be this family of four all living under the same roof together. It's so sad to think about now. But it's supposed to happen. If they grow up and move out and become independent adults, that will mean that we parented them correctly. It will be a job well done.

Because I could keep mothering them the way I did when they were younger. Whenever they ask for a snack or drink, I could get it for them every time. But at this point, is that really helping them or hindering them? At this point, I hear myself saying more times than not, "I'm trying to get this (laundry folded, dishes cleaned, email sent) done right now, so if you can go get yourself some water/snack, that would be great." Well, truthfully, it's actually more like "Get it yourself, buddy" but you get the point. And sometimes, it feels like I'm being a bad mom, but then I remind myself that when I don't do everything for them, I'm actually teaching them to become more independent. And that's the whole point of mothering, right?

Thanks for the inspiration and reminders, Mayzie. Happy Mother's Day. And congratulations on a job well done.

Click on this link to see a video capturing Mayzie's mothering adventure that she shared with the rest of us. It may have only lasted a month, but it was full of sweet moments and lots of love.: Mayzie & Chicks 2015 video

The "teenagers" and "babies" mingling
now that the grown up is gone

The four chicks hanging out together now that Mayzie has left.
The "teenagers" boss around the "babies" a bit,
but it's actually more peaceful in the horse stall without Mayzie.

I actually love dandelions in my lawn.

Cooper daydreaming by the window.

The hens love to free-range along the edge of the property.

Can you see what startled these girls?
Look on the right hand side....(Cooper's nose)

Good guarding, Jess.

Everybody loves watermelon

Cooper watching Jess guard the hens in the background
from the shady spot under the trampoline.

Got some herbs into the garden

Please eat up all the ticks, ladies!

Daffodil smiling for the camera.
(Photobombed by Buttercup)

Found this bell at the Brimfield Fair,
and since we don't have a doorbell,
I thought it was perfect here.
And I can use it as a dinner bell.
Or when someone gives me a really big tip.