Really, they are happy. Both the chickens and the pigs are happy. It is a sunny and warm day in March. The kind of day that makes you want to work in the dirt, plant flowers, and pretend like spring is really here. There are still wet patches from the 5 inches of rain we got earlier in the week. The lower side of the pig pen is still muddy, but they like it that way. After a good roll in the mud, one so thorough the sow with the white mantle, looks entirely black, the pigs move to the grassy area to bake the mud dry in the warm sun. A slight turn and a soft grunt are all they bother to offer us as we walk past. Yes, they are truly content with life.
The chickens like their dark brown earth slightly drier and freshly turned. We created one of their favorite gourmet buffets today. After planting several new apple trees for our small orchard, the ground was tilled to prepare it for grass. As the tractor is turning up the ground, the chickens come running. They fall in right behind the tractor and fight over the smorgasbord of worms and bugs. One side of the fresh dirt is pecked and scratched by the dominant rooster and his harem of hens. The other side is filled with younger chickens. There is a hurried excitement in the pullets that are experiencing this feast for the first time.
While the chickens are happy and the pigs are happy, I must admit they still aren’t as blessed as I am.
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