Sunday, April 15, 2012

three hens


my three hens seem to be finding a rhythm in their days together.  i am happy watching both spring and eliza learn to forage and roam freely in their space - something neither of them were able to do before coming here.  venus is a good teacher.

venus also visited the first grade this week!  greyson's class is gearing up to hatch eggs in an incubator.  his teacher asked if we could bring a hen to help the kids understand a chicken life cycle.  many kids had never seen a real chicken, only photos in books.

i was willing to try, but unsure how venus would react to a classroom full of kids.  she was fantastic!  like she was trained to sit calmly and let 22 first graders pet her and feed her raisins.  i got to answer questions about what chickens eat, what we do with the eggs, how chickens chew, and when is the chicken's birthday.  i loved sharing things i've learned and teaching the kids about the animal that laid their eggs - the animal that their tiny chicks will grow to be.





eliza is still cautious of me, but interested. watching me and my camera and staying an arms length away.  she almost came nearer to snag a strawberry... then thought better of it.

another curious thing about silkies: 5 toes and feathered legs

if eliza is cautious, spring is neurotic.  if she even catches me looking at her, she takes off.  she is a flier and will fly across the yard in a fit of nervous energy, then realize she is not with the other hens and frantically run right back where she started.  i wonder if this girl will ever let me close to her.





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