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November 16th, 2009:

From the Beaks of Chickens

There is a video version at the bottom if you prefer. The approximate video time is about 2 minutes. Enjoy!

A few months ago my wife and daughter decided they wanted chickens. They had just come home from visiting some friends of ours, who happen to own some fowl,  and were inspired. Far be it from me to deny the desires of my wonderful family, we bought some chickens.

I must admit, it is a lot of fun. These birds would never be accused of possessing great mental strength, but they are definitely entertaining. Their life is very simple; they scratch the ground in search of tasty morsels, they find comfortable patches of dirt in which to lay, and occasionally leave us an egg. However, there are some things I have learned from watching my feathered friends:

  • There is a certain poignancy to their simplicity. The chickens are aware of their purpose in life and they fulfill it. No games or machination; they just do what they do.
  • Whatever they do, they do together. Chickens, like people, are social creatures. They have their disputes and disagreements, but are able to move past these discrepancies to fulfill their purpose.
  • They enjoy their lives. These are some pretty content little creatures. Again, it’s not like they are operating at a high cognitive level, but ignorance can be bliss.

So keep things simple, cooperate with those in your life, and enjoy yourself. The more we can live like chickens, the better.