Category Archives: Pets

Cultivating Calm Amidst Domestic Chaos (Hint: It’s with God)

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Ah friends! It has been way too long! I’m not even sure where we left off… but let’s just jump back into it, okay? I want you to imagine something for me. Then we will both be in the same head space to get the point of this weeks muse. So here we go.

Ten baby chicks are in the house still. Tucked in a corner with the red heat lamp glowing even though they don’t need it. Except now they are almost fully feathered “teenagers” who are getting crowded in their little brooder cage. You feel bad, so have to let them out for some free time and to stretch their wings. Bottle baby goats have arrived. Three rambunctious little boys who are running a muck through the living room. They are treating your living room furniture like a playground (and an outhouse). Your five older hens and rabbits have just had their snacks and have been let out for the day. The dog has been fed but is vying for a bite or two of your bagel. Are you there? Okay, so this was me a few weeks ago. Still in my nightgown, sitting on the floor, coffee cup in hand surrounded by messy chicks, running goats and a big goofy lab drooling on my leg (yet unshaven for the warmer weather). As I sat there surrounded by fluffy feathers, drool, and untold messes on the floor that will need to be scraped, scrubbed and mopped for the 5th time this morning, I smiled and mused: What the heck have I done, and how will I ever survive this chaos?!

Yup, that’s me, with coffee cup, on the floor giving baby birds treats!

Did you imagine it? Did you smell, taste and see it? I laughed, not because I found it funny really. Oh, don’t get me wrong — I chose every bit of it. I wanted to be right there. I laughed because it was crazy. I laughed because it was slightly funny, the scene before me. It was funny because I put myself there. I was slightly overwhelmed. Yet, I was happy. And smiled because I was. Perhaps your chaos is not the same as mine. In fact, I suspect most of you do not have the same chaos that I have. Maybe you are that young mom with toys and diapers and a home that is also overwhelming, but in a different way. Maybe you are older and dealing with aches, pains, appointments and a supplement drawer overflowing with ailment aids. Your house is tidier, but your mind is cloudy. Perhaps your chaos is the in between… carpooling, school lunches, technology demands and your mini van has become the home office for calls, fast food and cat naps in the school pick up line. It smells just as nasty as my living room floor with that hockey equipment in the trunk. Oh friend, your chaos may be different than mine, but I am almost positive you can relate.

Does the word “chaos” have a bad connotation in your mind? I’m not sure. I looked it up and the definition seems to have some darkness to it. Maybe I chose the wrong word to describe the feeling I had on the floor that day. I say that because it wasn’t wrong or evil… just, well, chaotic. Perhaps it conveys a “lack of control” when things are just everywhere. Or is it just like the beginnings of earth… a void with no purpose or direction until God came in and breathed life into it? I think that’s the take we see when we think of “biblical chaos”. Or is it the dark sin taking over the world as in Noah’s day where things needed a clean slate and a “start again”? Is my chaos just busyness? A mental health strain that just needs more time? I don’t think it’s evil or sinful. Perhaps my semantics have labeled busy as chaos? Overwhelmed? Whatever — you get it.

Photo by Serge Bardot on Pexels.com

Right now, the house is quiet. Everyone has been fed, cleaned and cared for. The sun is shining. Okay, a hen just walked through the front door… but so far, the floor is still clean. Now the dog is barking. Trust me, it was peaceful a second ago! And it will be again. I guess the point of this post is to say, be encouraged! Life stages are just that: stages. We move around all the time! Faithfulness is so very much an attribute of God I love… because as much as our world changes and life seems crazy and overwhelming and often messy… God is our consistent companion to hold our hand and carry us through to the next thing. Believe it. Trust Him. Smile, with coffee cup in hand and say, “Yup, You and I can handle this God… on to the next adventure!” And now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go chase a chicken out of my living room…

Finding Comfort: Shelters for Goats, Chicks, and Us

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It’s another rainy, spring day — and exceptionally cool for this time of year, which means there is little outdoor work to be done — again. I am so behind in the garden. It may not happen this year. The few seedlings that survived may go in pots and be done with it. On the bright side, there was an opening in the builders schedule and our goat barn/shed is complete! She needs a coat of paint, but I am super exited! It looks great and I didn’t have to wait the weeks I thought it was going to take! I spoke with the breeder and I’m going to check out a few babies likely next week…it is happening people!

The chicks are indoor still but growing well… except for “Onion” a little peep who still seems to be fluffy and downy soft. In fact, she looks like a turkey chick if I didn’t know better. I didn’t order turkeys, so that is very unlikely, but it makes me laugh just the same. As I type this they are all quiet and snuggled up together under the heat lamp. It’s a perfectly peaceful afternoon in the house right at this very moment in the rain. It’s silent and still. And feels safe and warm and serene right now. Which has me musing…

All safe and warm under the glow of the heat lamp!

I’ve been looking at all kinds of shelters… goat, chicken, rabbit. I’m constantly on Pinterest or FB Marketplace looking for ideas and habitats. Before moving to Itsnotta farm, I spent hours (and yes, I mean hours!) scrolling for the perfect century home with all the things on my checklist. Yes, the property is full of maintenance that is draining our time and certainly our budget, but I am so thankful for all the blessings we have. Last night, God granted us a spectacular sunset. The sky was a blaze of oranges and pinks and purples. It was stretching far across the farm fields and I am sure it looked absolutely gorgeous reflecting off the lake. Yes, we are blessed to live in a free country surrounded by the beauty of the southern Ontario countryside.

After such a harsh and long winter, and what is turning out to be a very wet spring, I take comfort in our warm home. I take comfort knowing these little chickies are spoiled in my house under the heat lamp. I feel bad for the bunnies on rainy days and try and snuggle and dry them up before bed — knowing all living creatures appreciate a warm, soft and safe place to sleep at night. A shelter. My A.I. overview gives me this description of the word “shelter”:

“Shelter refers to a structure, covering, or place that provides protection from danger, bad weather, or exposure. It can also mean the state of being protected (refuge) or a place providing food and lodging, such as a homeless shelter. As a verb, it means to provide protection or to take cover.”

Those words describe a lot. Protection. Safety. Comfort. Warmth. I think shelter is one of those basic human needs… like food and water. Essential to life. Did you know the word shelter is used 36 times in the old testament, and almost always, the Lord is our source of that protection? He hides us under a cleft of rock, or draws us near, or under His wing. As I hang out with my new baby chicks, they do not like to be picked up as a rule. They squawk and yell and flap about, until I cover their fluffy little heads in the palm of my hand. This, like hiding under a momma’s wing, seems to give them comfort and a sense of calm protection. Shelter, if you will.

The completed Goat Shed! She still needs some paint…

My goat barn is a simple wooden shed. The goats are new to me, but I am told they will “dog pile” to stay warm. And that they hate rain. I’m looking forward to baby goat snuggles. Still, I know they belong outside and can’t stay in the house forever. My family will surely disown me. So, I will do my best to provide shelter. As our Heavenly Father does for us.

What about you, my friend? Are you seeking shelter right now? Do you need to feel the warmth and comfort of a “safe place”? I can’t imagine being homeless and wet and cold. I am lucky. Many in our world are not. My tiny chicks have it better that they… warm, fed, relatively clean, but most of all safe and protected to the best of my ability. Everyone deserves that, am I right? We must do our part.

So, as you’ve come along with me on another weekly muse, I hope you have taken notice of how you are blessed. Are you warm and safe in a cozy spot as you read this? Be thankful. Can you go to God with all your needs and know that He’ll “take you under His wing” and “protect you in the cleft of the rock”? Absolutely! Take a moment to thank Him for it, as will I, and we’ll see you back again real soon as we walk along this journey together, my friend!

Emotional Lessons on Faith from Chicken Keeping

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Another beautiful Tuesday here in sunny Ontario, Canada, and another thought for you from my little piece of the Internet. We’ve just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, and all the fall activities and sights and sounds are upon us. They say the colours are a bit muted this year, so I don’t know how to feel about that. I’m not so sure. Around here, the golden fields are rich in the sunlight, and I am reminded to be thankful. There’s lots of fall thanksgiving, gratitude, and blessings posts here at mittonmusings.com, so if you’re looking for one of those, do a simple search and I am sure it’ll pop up for you. This week, however, was not one of those gratitude musings… well at least not in the beginning. I had a bit of an emotional roller coaster of a night the other night, so I’ll share:

As you all know, the chickens here are the main attraction. They are the reason I dragged my family to the sticks to make a living. You’ll also know that we’ve lost a few to predators. I think the risk is worth it, so I continue to free range my girlies. It’s fun to watch them chase the bugs (and frogs and mice…). It brings me joy. However, the last time we were away we lost three to (what we suspect is) a coyote. Three is pretty devastating when you have a small flock, so a few weeks back we went about replacing those hens. Now, I am new to this chicken tending thing and have only ever raised day old chicks. Only this close to winter, chicks are harder to find and keep. The big companies don’t sell them and they will go outside too close to colder temperatures, so “teenager” chickens were the ticket. “Pullets” in the chicken keeping world. So, several weeks ago we brought home three new girls (hopefully girls!).

Travelling home with three new teenagers who are all wet because they dumped their water!

Then came the process of quarantining, integrating with the existing flock (the pecking order is a real thing!) and getting them to trust me and bond and all that good stuff. The bonding is a little harder with pullets because they are already fully feathered and didn’t spend any time with me in the house. They were able to go straight outside. Which means they don’t know my voice yet. They haven’t fully learned all the routines yet. They don’t trust me yet. Which is where my story begins.

A few nights ago I went out to put everyone to bed. The older girls were safely tucked up on the roosts already. The nights are getting darker earlier and I missed “dusk”. It was already dark… and the new girls were no where to be found. The hubby and I checked every bush and brush. I called and climbed. The new girls have been wandering a bit farther and farther from their coop as they gain confidence … but they did not recognize my voice.

I second guessed my whereabouts. I was home all night. Did I hear anything? I didn’t see anything. Did the dog bark unusually during the evening? I should have gone out before dark. I should have spent more time with them before letting them free range. I don’t deserve pets. I’m not worthy of animals, I’m no farmer. I dragged the whole family here for nothing… And the emotional spiral down begins. Then the tears. The hubby says “They are just stupid chickens” — not worth crying over. Yet, us girls go there in the middle of the night when we are upset. They don’t know me yet, and it was my fault!

My emotional breakdown was real, but unnecessary, and totally unwarranted, not only because it isn’t totally true, but because the next morning when I went out, three fluffy, buff coloured heads poked out from behind the bushes and looked at me. We had looked there. Twice. Even that morning they didn’t come running to greet me. I only noticed them after I heard the bushes rustle. Then, of course, I called and offered treats and goo goo voiced at them as prayers of thankfulness flowed and the begging of forgiveness for taking my lack of pullet training for granted. I’m such a basket case some days.

Safe and sound and learning to come when called!

In John 10, there is a strikingly similar story that Jesus tells about sheep. It was such a vivid parallel to me! It tells us that the sheep only recognize the voice of the good shepherd. They don’t recognize the voice of the thief that comes in the night. The one who comes from the back door only to prey on them with doubt. Only the voice that they trust (and recognize) to keep them safe will lead them to the rich green pastures. Or in my case, the warm and shielded chicken coop. Needless to say, I am working on my pullet bonding these days.

Are you there, my friend? Do you recognize the voice of the good shepherd? It takes time. It takes work. It requires trust to be built. You must learn the routines. Go back and read the story. It’s a good one. I’ll be back again next week with more thoughts on this faith journey and how God is showing me through crazy chicken keeping how our faith gets lived out on the daily. We’ll catch up soon.