Meet Mary Frances by Pam Todd of Bags and More by Pam

This is Mary Frances.  She is one of 52 chickens that my friends, Bill and Clarice, have in their flock. 

A coupe of weeks ago, they went to feed the chickens and found Mary Frances lying on her side.  She was dehydrated from the heat.  They took her straight to their house, where it was cool, and placed a bowl of water on the floor.  She drank and drank and drank that first day.  But, she didn’t eat.  The second day, she drank less and started eating a little bit.  They offered her corn and chicken feed.  The day I stopped to visit, and purchase some fresh brown eggs, my friends and Mary Frances were all sitting outside in the yard.  I asked whether the beautiful chicken was their newest pet.  That’s when they told me the story of her dehydration.

Clarice said, “She thinks she has her own private motel now,” and grinned.  I asked, “Why is that?”  Bill answered, “Well at night she comes into the house and sleeps in a cage.”  Then I asked what she does during the day.  They said that when they are outside in the lawn chairs, she stays close by, hunting for food in the lawn.  She likes bits of grass, too, they said.  When they are inside the house, Mary Frances stays on the patio, under the picnic table.

I asked how long it would take Mary Frances to fully recover. They thought about two more weeks, and then she would return to the flock and continue providing the fresh brown eggs that these well cared for, naturally fed chickens are producing. 

When I think about the loving care my friends are giving to their chickens, I am thankful.  And when I think how delicious those eggs are, I feel fortunate that Bill and Clarice and their 52 chickens are just down the road.  And when I look at Mary Frances, with her beautiful golden brown feathers, well, she is just simply adorable.  I was so glad I stopped by.

This post written by Pam Todd, www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com, an avid animal lover, who is fascinated and loves learning about all kinds of animals.  Pam hand crochets items for people, pets, and homes.  She contributes annually to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee and provides gift certificates to fund-raisers benefitting animal shelters and rescue organizations.

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