RIP Crooked Beak

Last summer after a plague of grasshoppers devoured everything in our garden we decided it was prudent to get some fowl to keep the insect population down. We bought Bantam Rhode Island chickens, some guinea hens and some Dorking chickens and roosters. We currently have 14 birds. Here are the Dorkings when they were babies back in February.

The kids loved holding them and feeling how soft they were.

Just in case you were wondering, we love collecting the eggs, but have decided to not eat them. Not that we think it's wrong to eat eggs, especially when they come from our own humanely treated, free range chickens. We just prefer not to, so we sell them to the local thrift store.

 We've lost some to skunk, coyotes, and some we suspect got blown away in the wind (Bantams are very light)! Of our Bantam chicks, our kids took a special interest in one of them. They affectionately named her "Crooked Beak."

Due to the shape of her beak, she enjoyed feeding out of the palm of the kids' hands. She loved the extra attention and affection, letting the kids carry her around all day if I didn't intervene.

This is also the one that was injured for two months and had to stay on our back porch (it made for a smelly, ant happy porch with all the spilled grain). The kids made sure she was well taken care of.

We firmly believe that "next to the Bible, nature is to be our great lesson book."  (Child Guidance, 45) That's why we love living away from the city. It gives more opportunity to be around less artificial things and more natural things. "To the little child, not yet capable of learning from the printed page or of being introduced to the routine of the schoolroom, nature presents an unfailing source of instruction and delight. The heart not yet hardened by contact with evil is quick to recognize the Presence that pervades all created things. The ear as yet undulled by the world's clamor is attentive to the Voice that speaks through nature's utterances. And for those of older years, needing continually its silent reminders of the spiritual and eternal, nature's teaching will be no less a source of pleasure and of instruction."  (ibid, 45)  


Every Friday night we watch a nature video to open the Sabbath and the kids really enjoy it. However, "We are not merely to tell the child about these creatures of God's. The animals themselves are to be his teachers."  {Child Guidance 58} I've seen this to be so true as we've had these chickens. The kids have learned "righteous indignation" watching the guinea hens bully the Bantams. There is an innate sense of injustice when the weak are oppressed. The kids have learned tenderness and respect for life as I've instructed them in how they may and may not treat or handle them. The kids have also learned that every creature in life has an enemy and there is great importance in attentiveness to watch for danger.

 

This last week we've seen two great horned owls taking an interest in our barn. Gorgeous birds to see in person. We aren't sure they are the culprits, but we know that something snatched our beloved pet Crooked Beak and Omega is dramatically displaying the remains. 

When our other birds disappeared it was somewhat of little consequence. They were nameless birds because they all looked alike. So, I had to make a special note of the loss of this one. The kids didn't cry or anything. I guess they inherited the non-sentimental traits of their parents :) Nevertheless, rest in peace "Crooked Beak".