Once upon a time in Chickenlandia, The Little King declared his love for dancing. The President of Chickenlandia was a benevolent leader, and so encouraged dancing of all kinds. Well, almost all kinds. There was one chicken dance that was strictly forbidden!
On one fateful day, The Little King of Chickenlandia declared his desire to dance The Serama, The Forbidden Chicken Dance! It was, of course, met with disgust from The President of Chickenlandia.
But that didn’t stop The Little King from bustin’ some serious moves!
Do you think The President of Chickenlandia came around? You’ll have to watch the video to find out!
In Chickenlandia, there have always been chickens of many different varieties. I’ve had floofy ones, smooth ones, big ones, tiny ones, frizzled ones, silkie ones, fancy ones, scruffy ones, and everything in-between. I like to think of Chickenlandia as a reflection of what I someday hope the world can be, a place where everyone exists together in one big happy flock.
My flock enjoying each other’s company.
Alas, the world isn’t always what we want it to be. It seems now more than ever, conflict is at an all time high. Some of us seem to revel in the antagonism of our species, others fight against it, some totally ignore it, and some hide away. As I watch the behavior of my flock, I can’t help but see a bit of a reflection there. Especially when I’m integrating new chickens, like my three recent rescues, Double Chicken, Kiki, and Beast.
My three rescue seramas from the Whatcom Humane Society.
It took longer than I expected to integrate these three. Two of them are on the young side, and they are all smaller than my previously smallest chicken, Little Stinker. I honestly didn’t realize how small they were until I observed them next to my other bantams. And of course, they are REALLY small compared to my standard hens.
Big and Little!
Their integration was slow and required a lot of patience, but it wasn’t impossible. For about two weeks, they were able to see the flock and the flock was able to see them, but they could not get to each other. This prevented the most difficult of chicken nature from happening, which would include them hurting each other. After I put them all together, I still had to keep a very close eye on how they were doing as to prevent tragedy. Slowly but surely, my hard work paid off!
So, what did I learn about humanity from integrating chickens? I learned that if I want the world to get along, I have to do my part to encourage love. I learned that even though something might be part of our nature, we can still work to improve it. And I learned that as a human, it’s my job to look after the smallest and most vulnerable among us. I hope I continue to realize all the amazing things this flock has to show me. And I hope you do, too!
Have you always wanted to learn how to integrate bantams into a mixed flock? Maybe you’ve been afraid that they would get hurt but want to try? Every flock is different, but in my new YouTube video I explain how I make it possible for my flock to live together in peace and harmony. It goes right along with the spirit of Christmas, doesn’t it? Just click the play button below and enjoy. <3
What does your flock look like? Do you have different sized chickens living together? Let me know in the comments!
I write a lot about the chickens I rescue, but not as much about how they rescue me. Many of you probably already know what I mean, but if you don’t, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you why I tell my flock each day, “Thank you, chickens, for rescuing me.” After all, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.
This isn’t me, it’s a wonderful gif I found!
Someday, I’d love to tell you the story of my life. But for today, let’s just say that I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs. I’m sure you have as well, because is there anyone who’s had a perfect life? I don’t think so. Watching my chickens each day, with their imperfections as so-called “non-show-quality” birds, I see their beauty despite what others may see as flaws. That’s also how I try to look at my life. There have been really tough times, but overall, I’ve been lucky enough that the joys outweigh the sorrow. I’m so thankful for this.
The Little Prince and The Little King of Chickenlandia. <3
This past year, I’ve had some health problems that have been tough to figure out. Nothing alarmingly serious, just inconvenient and puzzling. I’ve discussed it a little on my blog and I know many of you can relate. A big part of my relationship with chickens has to do with the way they motivate me each day. It doesn’t matter how I feel, the chickens need tending to. It’s snowing? They still need food and water. I’m too tired to get up? Too bad, they need to be let out of their coop. I must go outside and be in nature and listen to their calming noises. It’s good for me, and I’m so very grateful to them.
My flock. <3
So, along with my wonderful family and friends, I’m so thankful for this flock of mostly rescue chickens that continue to rescue me. It’s true, they’re not perfect. But neither am I, and in their imperfections I find my own peace with the ups and downs of my life. Thank you, chickens. And thank you to all of you who are with me on this journey. I love being in your flock!
To see Chickenlandia’s Thanksgiving Special: The Tiny Chicken Rescue, click the play button below! I think you’ll enjoy it.
What are you thankful for? Let me know in the comments!
