Guilt
I'm feeling guilty about my "bird-brained" post of Dec. 6. Maybe chickens are not as...well, as...as empty-headed as I think. I readily admit that we've never had chicks from our own hens (although we're hoping to work toward that this spring), and that the only chickens we've had are layers (and a rooster with an attitude toward children that won him a belly full of lead). I wonder if my respect for chickens will rise when I see one mothering her chicks.
I certainly appreciate their laying abilities; our production is up significantly since installing the light in the hen house and leaving it on a couple of hours in the evening.
I have wondered if chickens have had some of their chicken-ness bred out of them for the sake of production--that maybe some of the "chicken-ness" that God gave them to begin with has been watered down by man's tampering. I wish we knew someone nearby who has chickens of their own, that they have raised for generations, so we could start our own flock from clean stock.
I acknowledge that I spoke out of ignorance regarding the intelligence of chickens, which doesn't say much for my intelligence. However, I still maintain that they are incredibly fun to watch.
Mary Susan
I certainly appreciate their laying abilities; our production is up significantly since installing the light in the hen house and leaving it on a couple of hours in the evening.
I have wondered if chickens have had some of their chicken-ness bred out of them for the sake of production--that maybe some of the "chicken-ness" that God gave them to begin with has been watered down by man's tampering. I wish we knew someone nearby who has chickens of their own, that they have raised for generations, so we could start our own flock from clean stock.
I acknowledge that I spoke out of ignorance regarding the intelligence of chickens, which doesn't say much for my intelligence. However, I still maintain that they are incredibly fun to watch.
Mary Susan
posted by The Bradshaws at 2:27 PM
1 Comments:
"I wonder if my respect for chickens will rise when I see one mothering her chicks."
Don't count on it. We have bought chicks which we brooded. We have hatched our own eggs and raised the chicks. We have watched hens raise chicks. We raise up about 90% to 99% per batch. The hens are very lucky if they succeed in getting 20% of their chicks raised up to adulthood. They lose chicks left and right. I mean they literally lose the chicks. They are endearing to see, so precious, so stupid. Bird-brained is not just a phrase. :(
I feel similarly about sheep. Maybe I've just got dumb sheep. Actually, it is specifically the ewe lambs who are lacking in the brains department. The ram lambs and our big ram all seem to do fine as well as the ewes who make it to adulthood and several years old. Guess I'm going to have to work at breeding smarter sheep... :)
On the other hand, pigs, dogs, cats, geese, ducks and children are all wonderfully smart. Guineas I'm still wondering about.
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