Chicken Spotlight: Button

This Blog Entry spotlights Button. Button is a White Plymouth Rock Hennie. She joined us on the Farm in that 1st little box of Baby Chicks in June 2007. I suppose you could call those Baby Peeps our Class of 2007 here at the Farm.

Button named herself last Winter. Melanie would sit in the Chicken Coop and Button would try to grab with her persistent little Beak the Magical Buttons on Melanie's jacket. Chickens don't have such Buttons, which of course you might already know.

If Button hears the Shed opening, she is the 1st Hennie to run as fast as her little Chicken legs can carry her. We are not sure what she likes in there, but she is all excited. Maybe she is excited because of all the Magical Things stored in there. Or maybe she is excited because of all the Magical Places they take her.

From this Magical Place, Richard brings out the Shovel or the Tiller for the Adventure of the Day. Button just loves it. Whatever he is up to, wherever that Shovel or Tiller go, she is right there. She loves the yummy Worms and Grubs and Bugs. She chows them right down. Button helped Richard plant most of the Fruit Trees in the Fall 2007. She just plain loves digging in the Dirt.

Button is also a pretty good Big Sister with the Littles. That gave the Humans considerable comfort as they watched the dynamics of the New Chicken Community emerge when the Chicken Class of 2007 met the Chicken Class of 2008. Button is one of the more patient Big Sisters, but she does have her moments.

So what about her Eggs? Compared to the Eggs of her Sisters, Button has a very small Egg, slightly bigger than a Pullet Egg. It is light brown and, unlike some of the other Chicken Eggs, it has no spots. Melanie did hear Button cooing in the Nest Box this morning. Humans could make all kinds of meanings of that one.

At Nighttime, Button tends to sleep in the same spot. She likes to be on the Rungs of the Ladder toward the top. If we were to visit the Chicken House this evening, that is probably where we would find her.

This is a little bit of the story of the Chickens behind those Eggs from Butterfly Hill Farm. It is told with a bit of bias as it is based on the observation of the Humans. Button would probably have her own story to tell, as would the other Chickens of their Sister.

The most gifted observer of her Chicken Flock, Melanie reminds us that all of our Chickens have distinct personalities. Unfortunately, we Humans in our Human-Centered World just do not even consider such things.

I could ask you to tell me the stories of the Chickens behind the Eggs you choose to eat. We surely would be curious to know. These lovely Feathered Creatures provide us Food as nourishment for Life and are our Loyal Companions on this Earthly Walk. I took the above pictures today when we let the Chickens go into the Garden for Fall Clean-Up. They have been eager to find their way into the Garden and have surely looked forward to this moment all year long. Richard was turning the Soil with a Spade and, as per usual, Button was right there.
I took the picture below when Button joined Richard for the Planting of Trees in the Fall 2007. She was so excited she appeared to be dancing. We 3 C's just smiled.Glinda's Note: Melanie was Principal Author on this one. I added a little comment here and there, but mostly I just clattered away on the Keys.