Why did the chicken cross the road? Surely Kibitzers can provide in depth philosophical and scientific reasons why the chicken crossed the road, meanwhile the response, "to get to the other side," does not quite address what those who have been around chickens have observed about them. For example, when chickens walk it only looks as if their heads are bobbing, but really their heads don't move at all. Their long, S-shaped neck is responsible for their mesmerizing cuteness and head bobbing when they walk.
Scientist Kevin J. McGowan
This head motion looks silly, and it may look like random head waving, but it's not. If you look closely, or take videos and watch them in slow motion, you will see the head actually stays in one place while the body walks past it. It then is jerked forward and put in front of the body and the body walks past it again.
What this behavior does is keep the head still and in one spot as long as possible. By keeping the head still, the bird gets a better look at the world and is able to see things more clearly. It can focus on one spot for a longer period of time.
This kinesthetic tactic helps them spot tiny insects for eating and avoid larger, dangerous objects, like hawks. Even while they are walking along they can still detect movement.
Ignore that this video is an advertisement for Mercedes Benz and prepare to LOL or ROTFL.
I appreciate the ad's tasteful use of metaphor.
But, back to crossing the road. More and more families are keeping chickens in their back yards which puts more local and ethically sourced eggs on our tables. But, it also means that more and more chickens may actually be crossing the road with no idea the implications of this potentially deadly feat. Omlet, a UK company, is working to make chicken traversing safer by making neon reflective vests for your... chickens.
While some chickens traverse to see the world, others are content to lounge on chaises and help their humans with homework.
Bridget belongs to our neighbor. She came into our care when the rooster began to peck her aggressively. We really enjoy having Bridget visit us not just because of the squee factor but because she is a reminder of the beauty of the natural world, its healing and soothing properties that our fast paced, suburban centered lives drain us of. While big box grocery chains provide mass produced products designed to make their share holders rich, this little chicken is but one facet of sustainable living connecting us to a healthier life and a healthier planet because...
We're just passing through here on Earth, living one moment and gone shortly thereafter. Our legacy is a mixture of light and dark, our work often a contradiction to what Mother Earth has generously and selflessly given us - each of us, on loan to our Earth.
~r.
Sustainable living with chickens not only provides
nutrient rich, fresh eggs, they are an important component of the cycle between the compost bin and growing vegetables and plants for families living in suburbia who want to practice a greener and more sustainable way of life.
My Pet Chicken Sustainable Living with Pet Chickens provides a nice description of composting with chickens.
This sytem has one main cycle and a few smaller/subcycles.
1. Vegetarian* table scraps** and food prep to into the chicken run.
2. Our flock of 9 chickens eat the scraps along with bugs, worms and greens.
3. Chicken manure & pine shaving are collected from the coop.
4. Manure & pine shavings are added to the compost along with water and addition "brown" items.
5. Compost is added to vegetable garden† and flower bed as natural, organic fertilizer.
6. Vegetables are grown for the dinner table.
Some smaller cycles:
> Chickens lay fresh organic eggs that are used in meals, but the egg shells can be ground up and added to the compost pile.
> Nonedible garden and flower bed greens can be added directly back into the compost pile.
1. Compost is used to fertilze the lawn.
2. Lawn clippings and fall leaves are added to the chicken run.
3. The chickens scratch through the clippings and leaves eating bugs and greens.
4. Collections from the run are added to the compost pile.‡
And lastly,
Courtesy of
ruleoflaw, who when I asked him for a poem about chickens sent me this one, and it is perfect!
Chickens are practical creatures,
not so lovely as pheasants
or extravagant as peacocks.
Their turkey cousins
look down their snobby snoods
and gobble with disdain.
The ducks, geese and swans,
living the life aquatic,
haven't the sense to come in out of the rain
Gallus gallus domesticus,
in exchange for food and protection,
has been quietly providing the
nucleus of a hearty breakfast for several millennia.
For my friend remembrance,
a chicken is much more than
nuggets-on-the-hoof (?)
Her little friend is sweet and gentle
bundle of feathered curiosity,
tapping out a cheery good morning on the patio door,
calling on Mrs. Plumber to ask how she does
and would she have any cracked corn or millet
that needs disposal?
As much as I dig Mr. Calloway and his beats
I must insist that in this instance,
he is very much mistaken.
A chicken is ever so much more than a bird.
Thank you, ruleoflaw.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate.
Finally, readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.