Children and Chickens

As I am sitting here writing this, I am watching Makenzie out the window. She is feeding the chickens some kitchen scraps from this morning. This is a sight I never get tired of watching. She sits in the grass and hand feeds them whatever tasty morsel she has brought them. They all gather round her and gently peck the tidbits out of her hands. She is the one who usually brings them their "treats", as she likes to refer to the table scraps, so they perk their heads up and watch her expectantly whenever she walks out the door. The best part is to watch how gentle and loving she is towards each of them.

Makenzie's other job is to collect the eggs. She has a special "egg basket" we keep on the counter so she can collect them all and not drop them. She checks them usually a couple of times a day and is very proud of her job. Very seldom do I have to remind her to do it.

The chickens have been a nice addition in Makenzie's childhood. They have taught her how to care and be gentle around other creatures. They have also taught her responsibility. This is one of the nice side benefits to having any kind of pet or livestock.