Cluckin’ Around in River Ranch: Life According to a Backyard Chicken
We’ve featured our fair share of furry friends in Precious Pets, but this month’s stars are a first—meet the charming backyard chickens of the Williams family!
Hi there, folks of River Ranch! I’m Winnie, one of three fabulous backyard hens living the good life behind the Williams family home. Alongside my best feathered friends, Bubbles and Cluckers, I spend my days clucking contentedly, pecking around for snacks, and—of course—laying beautiful eggs for our beloved humans. We may not have a picket fence, but we’ve got the next best thing: a cozy coop, shady spots for naps, and the cutest little helper you’ve ever seen.
Let me tell you about August. She’s the tiniest human in the Williams flock, only two years old, but already the most stylish egg-collector this side of the Mississippi. She’s got this little apron—complete with egg pockets!—and every morning, she comes out with her mama to gather up our eggs with the most serious, determined look on her face. We love her. And not just because she shares snacks (which she does—accidentally, of course), but because she treats us like the queens we are.
Bubbles, Cluckers, and I are what you might call backyard celebrities. We’ve been living in our coop since we were chicks, and we’ve made this little patch of River Ranch our personal paradise. We roam around under the trees, take dirt baths in the flower beds (sorry, Mrs. Williams), and gossip about the neighborhood dogs. Let me tell you, it’s always the same ones barking. Get over it, Max—we're chickens!
Every day, we each lay an egg, and let me tell you—we take pride in our work. These aren’t just your average grocery store eggs. Oh no. Ours are premium, backyard-fresh, free-range masterpieces. The Williams family says breakfast has never been better. And when August plucks a still-warm egg from the nesting box and announces “egg!” with her little smile? Well, that just makes all the hard work worth it.
We hens aren’t just egg machines—we’re part of the family. We get morning greetings, afternoon chats, and the occasional “cluck cluck” song from August (we don’t understand the lyrics, but the rhythm is catchy). Bubbles likes to follow her around like a little feathery shadow, and Cluckers insists on being held like a baby—total diva.
At night, we settle into our coop with full bellies and happy hearts, listening to the hum of the neighborhood as the sun sets over the rooftops. Life here in River Ranch is simple and sweet. We lay eggs, we enjoy the breeze, and we watch our girl August grow up right before our eyes.
So, next time you’re walking through the neighborhood and hear a few proud squawks coming from the Williams backyard, that’s just us—your friendly River Ranch hens, cluckin’ away and living the dream.
Until then, keep it sunny-side up!
Winnie the Hen