Hell of a Ride to be Chicken!

So today I had a doctors appointment in town – thirty minute drive and it’s just below freezing today. I admit I was running a bit late so I was going faster than I might usually (95 klics instead of 80).

I made it on time and hardly had any wait. As this was my first appointment with this doctor, it wasn’t the fastest turn around time. Height, weight, blood pressure, questions from nurse, follow up from doctor after. I got a new prescription out of the deal and walked over to the attached pharmacy to wait for my new meds.

As they had just been faxed there it took about fifteen minutes for me to get out again – maybe a bit longer.

Next, I had to cross town and pick up a few items at the grocery store. I got in the truck, put my foot on the brake, put it in reverse, turned around to back out… and saw something quite unexpected.

A hen was sitting in the back of the truck. She looked pretty resigned. I was sure she hadn’t been sitting there went I went in to the doctors appointment, as I had to do some backing up to fit the big truck in the parking space.

I was also sure it was one of ours.

So I put it in park, got out, and picked her up. Not a fuss, although she is normally one who doesn’t like to be handled.

I put her in the cab and shook my head. “If you want to go for a truck ride, it’s better to do it in the cab, sweet heart.”

So down the road, through town, I drove — with my chicken.

I got to the grocery store and told her to sit tight – she didn’t seem perturbed.

As I closed the door I pictured coming back out and seeing a mass of people and some cops all in arms because  I hadn’t rolled down the window to give the bird air. I risked it.

Finished the shopping to find the hen – just as I’d left her. I checked the back. there were little footprints in the snow – leaning to beside the big tool box thing which is under a flap of canvass. There, I discovered the reason for her being in the truck – seems she liked to lay her eggs in that private spot. She must have been in that very process on the trip there.

I imagined her surprise coming out t o see a world unlike anything she’s ever imagined – now wonder she looked so resigned.

We had a nice ride home, and because of her trip to town, she had missed lunch so I carried her from the truck, past all her buddies, into the enclosed front porch and gave her some feed. But no sooner had I pulled into the drive, when another hen was up on the truck and heading to the same spot.

Going to have to check before we go anywhere now – sigh

Little miss adventure hen is back out side now, probably telling all the other hens about the trip.

 

Filed under: Homesteading, MIscellaneous Tagged: adventure, doctor, eggs, hen