Why are Chickens Admired by So Many?

Perhaps, it is because chickens are a microcosm of our society. While some chickens are extroverts and friendly others are introverts and hostile. Some have even observed that there appears to be a social pecking order among flocks of roaming chickens.

The picture I took for this article, on my i-phone close but not too close to my subject to respect my subject’s comfort level epitomizes what one of these guys looks like when they attain, “Top-of-the Hill” social status. The poise and confidence highlighted in the image are just one of the many reasons, I will always remain an admirer of this exciting species!

Returning to my early childhood, I remember my first encounter with chickens, after my mother purchased a few baby chicks. I had no idea what to expect and was amazed by the friendly reaction I received each time I fed them and filled their bowls with fresh water. It was a form of loyalty from my featherless friends that I was unable to even remotely duplicate among my social circles.

But what converted me into becoming a life-long admirer of these birds was something I observed during one of my feeding sessions. After realizing that one of the little guys was facing mobility challenges as others rushed to enjoy their meal, I began to prepare a small serving dish just for him so that he wouldn’t be trampled. But as I was about to proceed, I suddenly noticed that one of the baby chicks moved slightly to his right to allow the ostracized little guy to enjoy some of the food I was serving.

As a budding second grader, this was truly a pivotal moment that gave me great hope since I was often excluded from many daily social activities by my school peer group. At that moment, I made up my mind to stop trying to appease all the mean-spirited kids in the hope of being accepted. I understood that I was never going to be at the top of the social pecking order among them but without at least a minimal amount of acceptance, I decided to drop out of the social scene and focus my energies elsewhere until they decided to accept me.

In the meantime, I continued to spend much of my leisure time taking care of my chickens while always remaining grateful that my parents had built a small chicken coop within the confines of our small apartment that produced the ideal conditions required for their survival.

The Transition

Interestingly, as my small flock grew into young adults, I noticed that my mother seemed to distance herself from them. Of course, it took time to reach that stage, so I had plenty of time to enjoy watching them grow.

Yet, as time passed, my mother reminded me that they were outgrowing our homemade chicken coop and that they would be better off living on a farm. At first, I was heartbroken, but over time, I began to realize that setting them free to enhance their quality of life was the right thing to do. So, after a long discussion, I agreed to let her find them a better home.

A few days later, my mother sat me down and informed me that her mission was completed. She had relocated my feathered friends to a farm where they could roam and enjoy the perks of nature. It's funny that dinner that night consisted of fried chicken which my mom said was obtained from the neighborhood supermarket. The good news is that I failed to connect the dots.

Getting back to my life today, I must admit that as a child, I learned a lot observing the social behavior of these animals. As a result, today, I often encounter fewer challenges developing social ties and have learned to disassociate myself from individuals that fail to value my friendship.

And yes, I still love observing and photographing chickens whenever I travel to locations that have free-range roaming chickens. Although most people enjoy watching chickens for their natural beauty, I often focus on their social interactions with the other birds and even with the photographer.

This is why I will never stop enjoying the sight of roaming chickens in their natural habitat and even feed them whenever they are amendable. I even try to talk to them and convince them to get along with each other whenever I find that an aggressive member is not allowing the other members of the flock to enjoy my feedings.

Still, I also continue to admire the leader of the flock who has somehow managed to move to the top of the social hierarchy while wondering whether they started that way or simply found a way to earn the respect of the flock.

For this reason, I can’t stop enjoying the picture that I took for this article which illustrates what the leader of a flock looks like. However, let’s hope that this leader still finds a way to treat the other members of the flock with a decent level of respect!