At first I thought it was strange.
Our chickens can fly quite well. They can easily fly 2 meters high if they want.
The fence at its lowest part is only 1 meter high. This means that any of the chickens can effortlessly escape from the run any time.
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| Even a goat can jump over the 1 meter high fence. |
But they don't. Save for a few exceptions, most chickens never fly outside of the run.
The world behind the fence is full of bugs and grasses that chickens love, but it's also full of dangers. A chicken leaving her flock behind for the world outside should be prepared for the worst.
Staying inside means the security of fresh water and food everyday and, thanks to the fence, safety from a dog or other enemy attack. It's up to the chicken what she chooses.
Unlike humans, chickens don't need to rationalize their decisions. They make the "right choice" intuitively.
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| This is the best place, huh? |
As I was watching the chickens and pondering on things like this, it suddenly occured to me: this is not only about chickens, it's about myself too.
I work in a company. As long as I show up at work every day, I will get my salary and will be able to buy food and everything else I need to keep myself alive.
But If I quit the job, I will lose my source of income. I won't be able to pay the bills and in the worst case to buy food. My very life can be at risk.
So it's a smart and safe choice to work for a company... I guess.
I'm not sure whether it is the right choice for me, though.
One thing I can say for sure is that there is not much difference between a chicken staying in the run, and me staying in a company.
One thing I can say for sure is that there is not much difference between a chicken staying in the run, and me staying in a company.
A few paragraphs above, I wrote that chickens don't fly out "save for a few exceptions" - that's because we had a chicken in the past that flew out of the run to make new discoveries.
Her name was Christine.
Christine was the first chicken in the flock to fly across the fence. She was smart and brave. (We named her after the explorer Christopher Columbus.)
Christine was the first chicken in the flock to fly across the fence. She was smart and brave. (We named her after the explorer Christopher Columbus.)
Christine was also the only chicken that managed to fly to the pipe under the solar panels 3 meters above ground.
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| Christine on her exploration journey. |
However, one day we found Christine injured after what was probably a dog attack.
We took her to the vet and luckily, her injury wasn't life threatening. After a few weeks she recovered, but the shock from the attack must have been big, because for quite a long time she stopped flying over the fence.
We took her to the vet and luckily, her injury wasn't life threatening. After a few weeks she recovered, but the shock from the attack must have been big, because for quite a long time she stopped flying over the fence.
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| Christine at the vet. She doesn't seem to be regretting her adventures. |
I don't think she regretted her escapes, even with the dreadful experience of being almost killed.
After a while, Christine started to fly out again (Maybe she forgot about the attack. Chickens are not exactly good in remembering things.)
It seems that she learned the trick of dog avoidance because she was never attacked again.
Sadly, Christine died this spring from illness. She died peacefully in sleep and was buried at the farm.
What did Christine see over the fence.....
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| Hit the road! Christine |
What I learned from Christine is that being able to cross the fence and go freely in and out whenever one wants, even with some risk waiting outside, sounds like a smart and fulfilling way of life. I will certainly give it more thought.
In the meantime, I don't have yet Christine's courage, so my life in the company will perhaps continue for a little longer.