Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Watching Chickens

Since I'm new to this whole chicken ownership thing.... I've found myself going out to the chicken house and just watching them. My original intent of getting the chickens was eggs. Free, organic, yellow yoke eggs. An added bonus that I had not originally anticipated, was the odd delight and sense of peace in just observing them and seeing nature just...be....nature. The way it was designed to be.

So here are my odd thoughts on how chicken nature has similarities to human nature:

1. Chickens like to be pretty. Especially the one male I watched. They preen themselves over and over. They are trying to stay clean. They aren't going on any dates or have to primp up before their spouse comes home. They just know instinctively that their outer shell needs to be kept up. Isn't it in us too? Why do we look in the mirror all the time? Making sure there's no food stuck in our teeth or that our hair hasn't windblown into an up do. Kept up, but not vain is the chicken way and should be ours too.
2. Chickens follow a leader. We have a few sticks in the coop for them to fly up to and sit on. As soon as one gracefully (ha ha on that one) flies up to the branches, the others start to follow. Regardless, if I have just thrown food in for them and they begin to eat, as soon as one goes they all stop what they are doing and follow along suit. Do I at times follow someone else's lead? Do I want to be part of a particular group and am willing to make sacrifices or even bad choices to be part of the "in" crowd? No one wants to be left behind..... Do I have the courage to be the lone one on any given issue, or do I give up thinking for myself and follow the leader?3. Huddling for warmth.... It's been 40-50 degrees here at night. We do have a light for the chickens to keep them from freezing (aren't we so kind). They know that physically apart they would be chicken Popsicles. Staying close to each other in trying circumstances gives us support. Do I turn to loved ones when I get dealt a hard blow, for a shoulder to lean on? Am I a friend that others can turn to, to keep their insides warm when the going gets tough? Isolated and alone we are vulnerable and cold. Together we are a support system that keeps us insulated from the at times hard world.
4. And lastly the indisputable, no way to deny it, final proof.... aren't we instinctively a little too good at the chicken dance for it not to be a coincidence?

24 comments:

M said...

I am so jealous of you! A friend bought a house in CT and there was a chicken coup in the garden - but she had it torn down! I would have gotten baby chicks instead... I believe that taking care of them is good for your mind and soul.

Have a great day!

Andrea said...

Great analogies! Many times we should act more like animals than humans. The world would be a better place!

Blessings, andrea

Jeanette Levellie said...

Diane, I love this post and the photos. Thank you for your wise insights. Have you any eggs yet?

Linda Kage said...

My sister and her family just bought chickens too! They are kind of addictive to watch.

Maureen@IslandRoar said...

I have learned so much about chickens since moving to the Vineyard; every other person keeps them. But I have never seen them used as a metaphor for life.
Bravo!

Natalie said...

Have you read the book FLIPPED (it's about a girl who raises chickens and it's really cute)? I'm so grateful for friends when things are hard.

Diane said...

Ms Cookie- We debated long and hard over to even get animals, but it seems to be paying off in more ways than one.
Andrea- Agreed!
Jeanette- No eggs yet. :O)
Linda- Still trying to figure out how many boys and girls we officially have. Hoping for lots of girls!
Maureen- Thanks, staring at chickens for hours at a time will do that for you.
Natalie- Have not read Flipped, thanks for the recommended read. :O)

Unknown said...

I love this post!...I have an award for you over at my place!!!

Diane said...

Christine- Thanks so much! Lovin it. :O)

mommanator said...

Did I ever tell you I went to Chicken School? A local extension service from Rutgers gave it. It was quite interesting!
I did have chickens once upon a time, and they were fun.
Dont forget to clip their wings when they get long or you wont have chickens any longer!
great music too

Bina said...

Altho I can't do chickens (am still trying to decide why...), I love the fact that you can look at them and learn! Thanks for sharing!
:) Bina

Larie Carlice Proverbs 27:19 said...

I love it! Awesome comparison Diane!

smooches,
Larie

alicia said...

I think we can learn a lot from watching animal behaviors, thanks for sharing what you have learned! And nothing is better than farm fresh eggs!

Teri said...

What a lovely analogy of life. There is so much we can learn form nature if we take just a moment to pause and ponder. Life lessons are everywhere if we just open our eyes! Thanks for the uplifting post!

Azure Accessories said...

I love this post...I think I would do the same as you...watch the chickens!!! I do think all living "creatures" have similarities.

Cheers

More Than Words said...

What a great comparison!!!

Joanne said...

It seems very peaceful and relaxing, just observing the birds being themselves. Let us know how the eggs are!

Karen said...

Good post. I think the pictures are great, too even by themselves. Be sure and take pics of your first eggs. (I always knew males were more vain.) :0

Alicia @ boylerpf said...

How fun to have the chickens to watch. I am ever fascinated by the world of animals. It is so interesting how their world correlates so closely to ours! The is nothing like a farm fresh egg...

Jennifer Shirk said...

That's really an interesting observation.
I think I'd be in my happy place watching those chickens. Better than people watching! :)

Susan R. Mills said...

We had a chicken coup when I was growing up. Great analogy here. Oh, and it's been cold here at night, too.

Tamika: said...

Great post Diane! We can learn a lot from our feathered friends.

Thanks for the insights!

Blessings to you...

Deborah Ann said...

How awesome that you're going to have great breakfasts, but even more so that you're delighting in God's creatures in this way. His DNA is in all of us, even chickens!

CMOM Productions said...

So if someone calls me a chicken, should I take it as a compliment? :) I loved the post!

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