The Great Chicken Strike

When the feathers fly and the eggs disappear...

If you've ever kept backyard chickens, you know that every season brings its own little surprises. Right now, mine have decided it's time for what I lovingly call "The Great Chicken Strike." Feathers are flying, nesting boxes are empty, and the girls are strutting around like they're on vacation.

Its molting season - that natural time when hens shed old feathers and grow new ones. Their energy goes into renewal rather than egg production, so while I'm not collecting many eggs these days, I'm collecting a whole lot of fluff.

At first, it's easy to get a little discouraged -fewer eggs, messier coops, extra feed- but then I remember something simple: this season of rest has purpose The hens aren't lazy; they're renewing. They're doing exactly what God designed them to do.

A lesson in Rest and Renewal

It reminds me of how we, too, go through seasons where our "production" slows down. Times when we're not achieving or creating as much - maybe we're just quietly molting, growing few feathers for the next thing God has planned.

In those moments, I'm learning to be more like my hens; to rest without guilt, to trust the process, and to let God work in the quiet.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1

So while the girls take their feathered sabbatical, I'll keep cleaning the coop, refilling the feeders, and thanking God for the reminder that rest, too, is holy work.

Closing Thoughts

Before long, they'll start laying again - shiny new feathers, bright combs, and all. And when that first egg appears after the molt, it always feels like a little miracle.

Until then, I'll enjoy the slow days, the soft clucking, and the humor that comes with living close to nature. Because even chicken strike can teach us something about grace, patience and the beauty of God's design.