In fact, they actually thrive on it. Aaron is a hands-on dad; he wants them to have the full experience. (My thoughts are that the better they get at chores, the less we have to do...yep, that's me, always thinking of myself.)
The first run of chickens we bought as layers, the kids were over-the-moon about those little balls of fluff. They nurtured them into adults, and now the hens cluck happily when the kids arrive at the henhouse door. They let them take their eggs, and they get really excited when the kids bring them treats like leftover cereal, crackers, and garden discards.
We moved on to broilers after that; we raise about 60 at a time. In six weeks' time, they go from downy balls of yellow fluff to 8 pound, fully-feathered, chickens ready for eating. I was initially worried that the kids would have a hard time when the animals went to butcher, but that was unfounded. They really do understand the "circle of life" I think, and have so far shown no qualms about loading them into the truck and waving goodbye.
Recently, the town nearby had a moment of indecision regarding allowing chickens to be kept within city limits. I followed the story with keen interest, because our chicken endeavor has proven to be extremely valuable to our family in so many ways.
If you eat chicken and you buy it from a grocery store, you may want to consider doing a little research on the company who produces your chickens. I won't spoil your appetite here, but a quick visit to You Tube and a Google search should be enough to seriously change your purchasing habits. One of the main reasons I am glad to raise chickens is the knowledge that the chicken we eat is a fully-grown, vaccine-free, injection-free, chemical-free, additive-free, preservative-free chicken who ate his food at his leisure while wandering around our farm.
In addition, the eggs are second to none. I was low on eggs one week and I had to buy a dozen from the grocery store for the first time in a year. I could barely bring myself to eat them. They were watery, and the yolk was a light yellow - it looked like it had been bleached. Our eggs have a beautiful speckled brown shell. The percentage of yolk to white is much higher, and the yolks are a brilliant orangey-yellow. Yum.
I was glad to see that the local city council voted to allow chickens in town; in today's economy, with the growing number of artificial substances injected into our food sources, I think it is not only wise, but morally sound to allow people to do what they can to improve their food source.
And chickens are truly humble, gentle creatures. Our rooster can get a little territorial from time to time, but the hens are lovely. My kids carry them around the farm, under their arms, and the hens do nothing more than cluck softly to themselves. We often move chickens from one pen to another to clean the pens - and that is good entertainment. Have you ever tried to catch a chicken? I love watching the kids chase them around the pen and scoop them up. Even Cooper can tell you the right way to hold them so they don't flap their wings in your face.
Taking care of the animals is teaching my kids to care about the well-being of other creatures. It is teaching them to be responsible, and to take part in the work that helps provide food for our family. I was impressed by the way Emma informed me the other day that the feed-to-grit ratio in the feeders was a little off. She went in and rectified the situation by herself, and then launched into an explanation of why it is important to keep that balance. (Is she her father's daughter, or what?)
