Prayin' for a Chicken

Have you ever prayed for a chicken? I mean really prayed for a chicken?

I'm sure all of you from the south know a chicken farmer or two. Look anywhere in our neck of the woods and you're bound to see chicken houses. Papa Rooster is selling his chickens today, and praying for chickens is something that comes natural for us. It's as natural as you praying for your children. We pray from the time they're brought to us, to the time they leave. We pray for a good flock, with excellent livability, and heavy weights that bring in good money. Of course we both have full time jobs, but those birds are our livelihood. And if we don't get that good flock, we pray for the patience to deal and live through it.
I can see Papa Rooster now, walking the length of the chicken houses, praying for each chicken.
The sound is like no other. Just listen. Knock-knock-knock from the feed motors. You can hear the feed sliding into the pans. Cluck-cluck-cluck and an occasional cock-a-doodle-do from the chickens. Feathers rustling together as you shuffle through the sea of white. You can hardly move. Chickens are literally on top of one another, from wall to wall for 500ft. You can no longer see the floor. Be careful where you step, you don't want to harm one. That chicken just might bring you 50 cents if you're lucky. Papa Rooster stands amongst them, eyes closed, listening, thinking. I've heard you can tell a lot about your birds from just listening. He's standing there going over everything that needs to be completed, going over the things he's accomplished, and what he could be doing next (I'm sure of this), listening to make sure all is well.
The smell is not so bad. It is something you have to get used to, but it doesn't take long. It's only really bad during catching, clean out, and during the summer. Other than that it doesn't smell. That or I've gotten used to it.
Chickens take up quite a bit of time. They are in Papa Roosters hands for about 8 weeks, and after that, you're either cleaning up after them, or getting ready for the next flock. It's a constant cycle. This is job, not a hobby, but Papa Rooster enjoys is so much. He can go down and loose himself in the sea of white.....


Pray for a chicken today!!!!!