I am going away for a few days alone.  This means no husband, kids or chickens.  I am nervous.  I will be 3000 miles away from my Mother Hen duties.  I’ve done this before.  My husband is awesome at taking care of the kids.  He is a real Mr. Mom when he needs to be.  It’s just the chickens…

He has seen me feed them and attend to their needs daily.  He just hasn’t learned how to actually do it.  He is excited and has taken to asking me questions.  The chickens love him, as many morning he frees them from captivity and he also tucks them in at night.

Today, he was given a crash course with the waterer.  He will learn about the feed tomorrow and then I’m off.  I know he wants to do a good job so that I don’t worry.  Chickens are pretty easy and self sufficient.  I just hope he can round them up when they are done free-ranging.

The best thing are your chicken friends.  When your chicken friends know that you are out of town and a non-chicken raiser is watching them, they are like doting step-parents to your flock.  They stop by to see them daily, even if it is out of the way.  They bring them treats like lettuce and berries.   They talk chicken talk even if they sound ridiculous.  They squat way down to get on their level.

In the end, I know that my entire flock will be fine, including my human and chicken family.  Absence just seems to make the heart realize how there really is no place like home.  Even if home happens to contain a chicken coop!