Saturday Encore ~ Can chickens faint? (with a wish-granting opportunity at the end)

The adventure chronicled below happened August 5 of last year. It was the impetus for building a culvert under Wynonna's path to the barn, which I am happy to report has been tested twice this week. My wish for rain has come true and the pasture is greening up nicely. There's an opportunity at the end of this post that might make one of your wishes come true, so don't miss it. 

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It was Thursday afternoon, around 4:15, and Wynonna was on the front porch waiting for her dinner. Then all hell broke loose. The skies opened up and sheets of rain started pouring down, along with lots and lots of hail. Before Wynonna had time to consider going back to the barn, the stream started flowing across her path. She was getting pummeled with hail and rain and I couldn't let her just stand there, so I tried to convince her to come inside. She wanted no part of it.


She walked around to the side of the house where she was protected somewhat from the storm, but I could see she was scared and confused. I was getting a little scared and confused myself.


My trench was working but how much more rain could it handle?


I ran to the garage and got my golf umbrella and did what any over-protective mom would do – sheltered my pig from the storm.


As we stood there watching the rain and hail come down, I could see that Hank and the burros were safe in the barn, so I wasn't worried about them. But I was concerned about the chickens. I left Wynonna with the umbrella and sloshed over to the other side of the house to check on the girls.


All three of them were standing together in the corner of the garden getting pounded by the storm. They could have gone in their coop or under the bench or in the bushes, but no, they just stood there drowning. I picked up one of them and took her drenched self into the coop. As I placed her in a nesting box, she fell over on her side, lifeless. WTF? I was stunned. But I had to go save the other two. I catch chicken #2 and run back to the coop. I placed her with still-lifeless chicken #1. I go catch chicken #3 and run back to the coop, where chicken #1 has risen from the dead and seems perfectly fine. I don't know if chickens can faint, but it sure seems like that's what had happened.

I went in the house to check on things. What a mess. I hadn't realized how much water had come through the door when I was trying to convince the princess to get out of the rain.


When all was said and done, the storm dumped 1.3" of rain in about 45 minutes, then the sun came out, along with a double rainbow. I let the girls out of their coop and all three seemed as perky as ever. Go figure.

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The Fairy Hobmother is flitting about blogdom this summer granting wishes. If you're wishing for something in particular and tell me about it in a comment on this post, the Fairy Hobmother might visit you. I left a comment over at Snappy Di's blog when the Fairy Hobmother was visiting her, and wouldn't you know it? My wish was granted. The rains came, and so did a $50 gift card at amazon.com. Who knew this Fairy Hobmother guy was so powerful? He has assured me that he will visit somebody who leaves a comment on this post.

The Fairy Hobmother works for Appliances Online in the United Kingdom. I have no idea why he's granting wishes for readers of blogs in the United States, but who am I to question the marketing tactics of somebody who gives me a $50 gift card?

So go ahead...make a wish in the comments today and the Fairy Hobmother might visit you.