I wanted to write a clever answer here -- kind of like the old jokes about why cucumbers are better than men -- but other than "Chickens don't charge $100/hour," I can't think of anything at the moment.
Anyway, what I'm wondering is...what is it about hanging around with chickens that makes people feel so good? I can sit and watch my brooder full of chicks for an hour or more, and I always walk away feeling better than I did when I started. Even just saying goodbye to my grown chickens (and hearing Earl crow in reply) every morning makes me smile. I have some theories:
1) Caring for little defenseless animals is always rewarding. When they are cute and fluffy and grow so fast you can almost see the feathers sprouting, it's even more so.
2) Chickens lead a simple life. Eat, poop, scratch, wallow in the dust, chase bugs. Mate once in a while, lay some eggs, cluck and crow, nest and strut. Raise your kids to do the same. Nothing complicated, just ordinary, day to day existing. That simplicity transports us away from the voicemail, Blackberry, traffic jams, competitiveness, hectic life that most of us lead and reminds us that life is pretty basic after all.
What can you add to this list?
Anyway, what I'm wondering is...what is it about hanging around with chickens that makes people feel so good? I can sit and watch my brooder full of chicks for an hour or more, and I always walk away feeling better than I did when I started. Even just saying goodbye to my grown chickens (and hearing Earl crow in reply) every morning makes me smile. I have some theories:
1) Caring for little defenseless animals is always rewarding. When they are cute and fluffy and grow so fast you can almost see the feathers sprouting, it's even more so.
2) Chickens lead a simple life. Eat, poop, scratch, wallow in the dust, chase bugs. Mate once in a while, lay some eggs, cluck and crow, nest and strut. Raise your kids to do the same. Nothing complicated, just ordinary, day to day existing. That simplicity transports us away from the voicemail, Blackberry, traffic jams, competitiveness, hectic life that most of us lead and reminds us that life is pretty basic after all.
What can you add to this list?