Neglect

Ghon and I have a confession to make.

We are horrible chicken owners/farmers. Our chickens run wild and are underfed. They do not have appropriate shelter, especially in these recent cool nights. The lack of proper nutrition keeps them small and under weight.

This week, we were reported for it.

I leave my cell phone in the car when I attend meetings off-site. When I returned on Tuesday, I found a missed call from "Frederick County Non Emergency," the local number for the Sheriff and State Police non emergency issues. We have to call whenever we have a fire at the farm, so I have it stored in my phone. I also have a text message from our friend who works in the dispatch at the barracks. This was not looking good. I relayed part of the message received by text to Ghon, also by text.

Once back in my office, I listened to the message and returned the Deputy's call. Turns out, a lady was driving by our farm that morning and saw our chickens out by the road. She was fearful for the chickens as well as the safety of others. Somehow, she pulled off to the side of the road and took it upon herself to "shoo" our chickens back into our yard. Satisfied with her good deed, she then called to report the issue and notify the authorities that some of the chickens seemed kind of small and undersized.

While I am on the phone with the Deputy, Ghon is texting our neighbor Daniel, who goes and checks on our hens. All of our larger chickens are accounted for, but he didn't see the younger ones. I explained to the Deputy what we knew, and that I would check on them on our way home, as well as letting her know that we do have some younger birds that may appear, well, "small."

I head home and stop to check on the chickens. As Daniel reported, all of the big chickens were in their run and accounted for. I looked next at the younger chicks. The day before, Ghon and Eric moved a small box in the run to give them shelter during the cold nights. There is a heavy piece of plywood covering their coop - and it was all in place. The kicker...the chickens were all safely inside.

This Good Samaritan shooed a flock of wild turkeys into our yard then called the Sheriff's Dept.

Our chickens never run free.

Our chickens are not "small."

There are several flocks of wild turkey at our farm and in the fields surrounding it. Some, have seemed a little tamer than norm. We really think this lady chased wild turkeys in our yard.

She should have just hit one with her car - Thanksgiving dinner could have been free. Instead, she found a place to park her car, on a windy, two lane road with no shoulders, just to keep the "chickens" and other cars safe.

Lord help us all when she sees a "pack" of "large skinny dogs" on the side of the road at night.