was out before the chicken knew what she was up to. She turned grinning toward Tom and showed him her prize.
He smiled back. “Easy, huh?”
“Yes, it is easy.” Something pecked her leg. “What in the heck?”
She looked down and the rooster was pecking at her skirt. Hard. She kicked at it and he flapped away.
“That’s Walt, my cock.”
She raised her eyebrows at him and burst out laughing.
“My rooster.”
She nodded, chuckling under her breath.
“You have to watch out for him. He’ll peck you every time if you don’t get in and out of here fast. Sometimes feeding them by throwing corn in the yard will distract him enough that you can get in and out without being attacked. Luckily you have your skirt to protect you. Watch it when you go into the coop though. If you don’t see him in the yard he could be in the coop and he won’t hesitate to leap at you. He doesn’t realize he can’t fly.”
“I’ll remember.”
“I noticed there are only twelve nests, but you have a lot more chickens than that.”
“There are only twelve laying hens. The rest we eat. You’ll have to do that too.”
“Do what too?”
“Slaughter the chickens when you need them for a meal.”
“I’m not slaughtering any chicken.”
“You will if you want to eat them.”
“Then you best like beef and pork because I’m not slaughtering any chicken. Don’t know how and don’t want to learn.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Tom stared at her for a long moment then grinned. “I like beef and pork. If I want chicken I’ll get Orvie to slaughter them. Fair enough?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“Did you notice the bin on the side of the coop?”
“Not really. But I do now that you point it out. What’s it for?”
“That’s where we keep the feed. You’ll put three of the cans full around the ground, like this.” He filled the can with grain and flung it around the yard and then handed her the can. “Okay, you try it.”
She did just like he did and was inordinately pleased that she’d done it right.
“Great. You have the chickens down pat. Now for the cows.”
“Cows?”
“Milking and feeding the cows.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, lets get at it.”
She followed him to the barn.
CHAPTER 6
The next day Rosie started with the cows first before breakfast. It was Rosie’s first day doing chores alone. Tom went through everything she was supposed to do and showed her how to do them. It took her much longer than it did him to milk the cows. She kept pulling and squeezing. Unfortunately, she was not getting anything. She was using just two fingers to pull, afraid she’d hurt the cow and yet she knew that if she didn’t get the milk out the cow would really be in pain. She started to panic and finally remembered that Tom had used his whole hand. He’d been so good at it he could squirt the cat in the face with the teat.
She tried again using all her fingers and thumb like she remembered him doing. Still not much. Then she remembered he’d sort of punched the udders to get them started. Not hard, just a solid nudging.
After she nudged the udder, she pulled down on the teat and low and behold milk squirted out. She did it with the other hand and the same thing happened. Woohoo!! She was milking the cow.
After she got done with the cows, she took the milk to the kitchen where she still had to put it through the cheesecloth and strain it, then separate it into the jugs and put it into the ice house. She was ready for a break but had to gather the eggs and feed the chickens first and then had to make breakfast.
She went out to the chicken coop. The rooster charged her as soon as she opened the gate. She still felt the peck from yesterday. He’d gotten her good, more so than she let on to Tom.
Today she kicked at him but he moved too fast. He followed
He smiled back. “Easy, huh?”
“Yes, it is easy.” Something pecked her leg. “What in the heck?”
She looked down and the rooster was pecking at her skirt. Hard. She kicked at it and he flapped away.
“That’s Walt, my cock.”
She raised her eyebrows at him and burst out laughing.
“My rooster.”
She nodded, chuckling under her breath.
“You have to watch out for him. He’ll peck you every time if you don’t get in and out of here fast. Sometimes feeding them by throwing corn in the yard will distract him enough that you can get in and out without being attacked. Luckily you have your skirt to protect you. Watch it when you go into the coop though. If you don’t see him in the yard he could be in the coop and he won’t hesitate to leap at you. He doesn’t realize he can’t fly.”
“I’ll remember.”
“I noticed there are only twelve nests, but you have a lot more chickens than that.”
“There are only twelve laying hens. The rest we eat. You’ll have to do that too.”
“Do what too?”
“Slaughter the chickens when you need them for a meal.”
“I’m not slaughtering any chicken.”
“You will if you want to eat them.”
“Then you best like beef and pork because I’m not slaughtering any chicken. Don’t know how and don’t want to learn.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Tom stared at her for a long moment then grinned. “I like beef and pork. If I want chicken I’ll get Orvie to slaughter them. Fair enough?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“Did you notice the bin on the side of the coop?”
“Not really. But I do now that you point it out. What’s it for?”
“That’s where we keep the feed. You’ll put three of the cans full around the ground, like this.” He filled the can with grain and flung it around the yard and then handed her the can. “Okay, you try it.”
She did just like he did and was inordinately pleased that she’d done it right.
“Great. You have the chickens down pat. Now for the cows.”
“Cows?”
“Milking and feeding the cows.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, lets get at it.”
She followed him to the barn.
CHAPTER 6
The next day Rosie started with the cows first before breakfast. It was Rosie’s first day doing chores alone. Tom went through everything she was supposed to do and showed her how to do them. It took her much longer than it did him to milk the cows. She kept pulling and squeezing. Unfortunately, she was not getting anything. She was using just two fingers to pull, afraid she’d hurt the cow and yet she knew that if she didn’t get the milk out the cow would really be in pain. She started to panic and finally remembered that Tom had used his whole hand. He’d been so good at it he could squirt the cat in the face with the teat.
She tried again using all her fingers and thumb like she remembered him doing. Still not much. Then she remembered he’d sort of punched the udders to get them started. Not hard, just a solid nudging.
After she nudged the udder, she pulled down on the teat and low and behold milk squirted out. She did it with the other hand and the same thing happened. Woohoo!! She was milking the cow.
After she got done with the cows, she took the milk to the kitchen where she still had to put it through the cheesecloth and strain it, then separate it into the jugs and put it into the ice house. She was ready for a break but had to gather the eggs and feed the chickens first and then had to make breakfast.
She went out to the chicken coop. The rooster charged her as soon as she opened the gate. She still felt the peck from yesterday. He’d gotten her good, more so than she let on to Tom.
Today she kicked at him but he moved too fast. He followed
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