I was never going to own chickens. Too much work and too much mess. Oh, wait! Those were the same reasons I would never have three dogs. And yet here I am.
I won’t go into politics or religion—we have multiple other avenues for those topics. Let’s just say John and I are concerned about the current religious and political climate, and we want to make a few changes in our lives to ensure we’ll have enough food. So we’ve joined the ranks of those affectionately called, “The Crazy Chicken Owners.” I prefer the title, “Mother Hen.” I even purchased a coffee mug from Tractor Supply imprinted with my new title, so it’s official. John hasn’t embraced any cool or trendy title for himself—he claims to leave all that up to me. But if you see him around, please call him, “Father Cluck.” It won’t make his day, but it will certainly make mine.
Baby chicks are much like, well, babies. They’re sweet and cute and snuggly and love to cuddle. But, also like humans, they grow up to be, uh, not nearly as sweet and cute and snuggly. And my chicks have definitely lost their love of cuddling. Much like my kids at that lovely tween stage, when I hone in for a cuddle or even a quick snuggle, they squawk and protest and move to get as far away from me as possible. If my boys had sprouted wings as tweens, I’d declare both species completely identical. Well, except for the mountains of poop scattered all over the floor.
www.healthline.com tells us that “Around nine to twelve years old, your child will enter their tween years. Also called pre-teenagers, tweens are at the age where they’re leaving childhood and entering adolescence. With the onset of puberty during this stage, your child will experience a great number of changes. It’s bittersweet to see your young one exit childhood. However, your tween now needs you more than ever as they navigate through these changes before they transition into their teenage years.”
Hmmm, chicks and children really are alike—affection turns into independence, and cute little ones turn morph into older, gawky, more sensitive beings. Yes, so much alike. Well, except for the driving part. Thank goodness I don’t have to teach twelve chickens how to drive! The insurance alone would bankrupt me, assuming I kept my sanity…
Jann Goar Franklin graduated Russellville High School in 1985 and lives in Grand Cane, Louisiana. She also writes books, which are for sale at www.jannfranklin.com. You can reach her at jann@jannfranklin.com