To say that "the sky is falling" in the story Chicken Little, is exactly what you might think if you were to watch chickens for very long and observe their behaviors. Last fall we bought our first chickens and I love watching them. They are amazing little creatures and they have brought me a lot of joy. I love caring for them and like I said, "watching them." They really are fearful of something falling on their heads, unless it is oats and sunflower seeds and then they seem to go into a different zone and they go crazy happy picking at those little morsels of tastiness. I go out into the yard and start shaking the container and they come a running.
We made a chicken run that they are in most of the time and that is where we throw our table scraps, raked leaves, grass clippings, pretty much anything organic. In return they give us eggs and make compost for us. I think it is a pretty fair return. It is real amazing to put all that waste out there and watch them turn it over and over for us. They love digging through it to find any tasty bugs that they can.
I worried the fun would end when the weather got cold and I wouldn't want to go out and feed and water them. However, I found out that I am going outside even on the coldest of days, the kind that I might not even go shopping on because it is so cold. It always feels so good to go out and get a good breath of fresh air, even if there is an awful inversion. I love the briskness of it all.
They like to come to the patio window just for a look. Maybe they like people watching as much as I like watching them. : )
What's even more fun is watching my cute little grandson find joy in them and be excited to go out and throw oats to them and hear him copy the sound they make. Bawk Bawk Bawk
