She doesn’t feed them.

She doesn’t have to.

By the time a chick hatches, it’s ready to eat on its own. Everything it needs for those first few days was packed inside the egg — including a yolk sac the size of a marble, drawn into its body just before hatching. That tiny reserve fuels the chick’s first steps into the world. Strong. Capable. Unshaken.

But don’t confuse that independence for abandonment.

The hen doesn’t hover because she’s uninvolved. She’s watching — always watching. With a low cluck, she calls them toward food. With a sudden wing stretch, she draws them back from danger. If needed, she’ll puff herself twice her normal size and face down a predator ten times heavier than her.

Even though the chicks walk on their own… they are never left alone.

This dual role — instinctive self-sufficiency in the chick, and active environmental protection by the hen — is part of the brilliance in Jehovah’s design. It’s not either-or. It’s both. The chick moves forward with confidence. The mother remains close enough to shield.

And isn’t that a comfort?

We sometimes imagine that spiritual strength looks like total independence — doing it all ourselves, never stumbling, never needing help. But Jehovah doesn’t define strength that way.

You can be mature and still need shelter.

You can be walking with confidence and still need protection.

Even Jesus, though perfectly equipped for his ministry, often sought out his Father’s support in prayer — sometimes all night long. And Jehovah responded. Not with rebuke, but with care.

Isaiah 40:11 (NWT) describes it this way:

“Like a shepherd he will care for his flock. With his arm he will gather together the lambs, and in his bosom he will carry them.”

Strength doesn’t mean you’re never weak.

Independence doesn’t mean you’re on your own.

Even if you walk on your own — someone still wants to shelter you.

Tags: creation, protection, independence, caregiving, coming soon

References:

• Isaiah 40:11, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT)

• Yolk sac absorption and early post-hatch behavior: basic poultry biology summarized from university extension materials