3 Surprising Life Lessons from Living with Chickens

When I was growing up, if you told me one day I would be living in the country, burning wood to heat the house, and having chickens, I would have thought you were insane. Mainly because of the chicken part. The birds freaked me out, probably stemming from a traumatic incident when my mom decided her three city kids should have the farm life experience she had growing up… plucking chickens. As you can imagine, that did not go well, and we never did it again. Fast forward 20 years and we have chickens. Despite my past experience I’ve learned a few life lessons from them. 

1. Shit happens…..

• Literally, everywhere, all the time. You can let it get you down and think “Ah I stepped in it again, why does this always happen to me.” Or recognize that it is a part of life, adapt, and move on. Since having chickens we have adapted, we make sure to wear shoes outside! 

2. Be Careful Where You Roost 

• Our chickens roam during the day, at dusk they make their way back to the coop to roost. Sometimes they choose to roost in not the best places, like on the log splitter or the feed container. I don’t like touching chickens, so when this happens, I take the broom and lightly nudge them off whatever they are roosting on and chase them back into the coop. Choose wisely where and with whom you spend your time. If you pick the wrong flock or place to rest you may get an unpleasant wake up call one day. 

3. There’s Always an Opportunity to Choose Joy  

• At the beginning of the summer, my 3 year old was terrified of chickens. Boy, do I mean terrified. As soon as she saw them across the yard she would let out an ear piercing scream “CHICKENS'', start crying, run inside, and refuse to go outside until the chickens were in the barn. Then one day she decided to tell herself a different story. In the blink of an eye, her fear was changed to joy. She stopped running from the chickens and started running towards them! Giggling as she chased them under a tree. When you have the chance, always change your outlook and choose joy.

Although I never imagined myself living in the country and having chickens, it has brought many blessings with a few life lessons. We have learned to adapt and live with ease because “Shit happens”, we make sure we spend time with the right flock in the right places, and we look at situations differently to choose happiness. 

Which lesson do you need to work on applying in your life?