One of my responsibilities on the farm is looking after the chickens. There are maybe 30 of them in a coop next to the produce shed and I hear the roosters announcing the sunrise every morning when I get to work (and then all day long!). There also seems to be a regular crowing competition between our chickens and the neighbors' and the call and response can get very entertaining.
I don't know why exactly, but chickens are pretty darn compelling to me. I have been fascinated with them for a while, and was envious when my buddy Jax got three of them in her back yard this past Spring. While they are not all that smart, and can be pretty brutal and filthy and even mean-spirited, they are somehow captivating to me. For one thing, chickens are incredibly funny when they run. They are urgent and lean forward as if to become more aerodynamic and always make me wonder reflexively "where are their arms?!" They like to roll around in the dirt and lay on their sides and stare at you suspiciously with one eye. They have an amazing array of possible colors and patterns and styles, all adding greatly to the expression of chicken personality and individuality. And, of course, chickens have a lot to say and are vocal about their opinions and commentary.
I have begun to form a bond with my flock, whom I collectively refer to as "Ladies." I change their water daily, and have the privilege of feeding them wilted or soft or otherwise unsaleable vegetables. They all come running to the door of the coop when I arrive, as they have learned to expect me to bring them treats. I check for eggs in the nest boxes and reach under them to see if they are holding out on me. For some reason, they like to group their eggs all in the same box, even though there are about 20 boxes that they could lay in. Chicken duty may be one of my favorite farm chores.
One of the things that I have been learning is that chickens have discerning palates, just like the rest of us. So, I have been on a mission to answer the burning question: what do chickens like to eat? I am looking forward to a changing seasonal review of chicken snack preferences.
Yum List: purslane, basil, small eggplants, tomatoes, melons if they are cut open, broccoli, anything in my friend Jax's garden.
Yuck list: okra, big eggplants, winter squash, whole melons.
Camera phone video of chickens eating basil.
You remind me of my chicken owning days, when I was given a dozen chicks for my birthday. We lived in the woods at Beechwood then, and the chickens had the run of the yard. They terrified Karen (early teens), who was afraid they would peck her, and so they could chase her in the yard at will. Pretty heady stuff, for a chicken!
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But then word of the chickens got out in the raccoon community, and they began to disappear. I started live trapping the raiders and exiling them, and was amazed to catch ELEVEN in as many nights. I had no idea there were that many raccoons in the county! And us with a Raccoon Hunter's Club just up the hill!