Joy of Poultry

Growing up on a farm has a certain effect on a human being. Simply observing some clumsy beetle crawling along its little world of dewy grass and the realization that for thousands of kilometers its little friends are doing the same, going to and fro to whatever business they have in their miniature jungle renders one more or less immune to the worst of human pettiness. Whenever I'm in the city I remind myself that back home, a buttercup is pushing its unopened bud into the light above ground, a cow is lying in the sun or one of my chickens has just found some tasty little earthworm and is pecking at it with its little beak, knowing of nothing else in the world.

My chickens currently number only ten. Last summer there were twenty-five of them, but since I've had to give a few of them away to other people (after assuring they'd be well kept and not eaten or bred, I hate overzealous breeders) and because of a few hawk-related incidents, only ten of the little creatures currently wander my yard. They're mostly dutch bantams with some other stuff mixed in here and there, which means they're small and not too messy. Because I am a simple, somewhat ridiculous man who enjoys simple things I like to photograph them and I hope you will enjoy these chicken pictures as much as I do.

Here's Bernard, who, through wit and perception, has found a patch of pretty little snowdrops (all by himself). He's obviously very proud of his latest achievement. I've had multiple roosters called Bernard because it's just a good name for a rooster but this particular incarnation of Bernard (Bernard VI) is probably the goofiest. Although he's fairly big and stocky he's gentle, timid and somewhat cowardly, much like his owner. When he's not too busy mistrusting me and slightly opening his beak in vague panic at my approach he and I get along very well.

Today is the first of march which is a month I'd feel apprehensive of since in the Netherlands it usually comes with a lot of rain and wind, but the bloom of the snowdrops and the emergence of the first patches of colorful crocus flowers more than makes up for this. My garden is particularly snowdrop-heavy as you can see here:

I hope you will all have a nice day with lots of sun. Take care.