On Life and Death In The Garden

“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.”
  Arthur Schopenhauer







I love springtime; I don't know a single gardener who doesn't. Spring reminds us that winter is but for a season; the planet makes another pass around the sun, and we feel the warmth of the sun, and the rush of life causes all around us to rejuvenate. The glorious lengthening of our days reminds me of the motto of the old city of Geneva under John Calvin: "Ex tenebris lux" out of the darkness into the light. After a long and hard winter, both literally and metaphorically, I was more ready for the resurrection of spring than I had been in years. Ironically, this past Easter was the only one I did not spend in church in my life. Easter has always been the happiest of days for me; the sublime greeting to my friends and parishioners, "He is risen", and their response "He is risen indeed" failed to comfort my ears. I celebrated on my own, in a quiet, contemplative way this year. Perhaps you understand? I was not necessarily against being with other folks that day, but I preferred the company of God and my thoughts alone.

 Too many dear things, and dear ones, have died in my life this last year. I have had my fill of death and sorrow, but apparently it had not finished its dealings with me. I needed a rejuvenating spring more than I had in years. Spring gave me the most lovely flush of roses and blossoms on the trees; far more than I expected. My little flock of hens, made me grateful for a lovely brown egg from each of the girls every morning. My own, custom made Easter eggs! I start each morning with a chat with Lightning Bolt, Snowflake, and Mrs. McNugget. Grandchildren make naming animals much more fun!

They really are delightful little birds: bright, curious, affectionate, entertaining, and giving...speaking of giving...oh such eggs! If you have never had eggs laid by free range birds which get plenty of greens and bugs to devour along with their chicken scratch, you have no idea what you are missing. The yolks are a deeply hued orange, not a washed out pale yellow of those from eggs purchased from a factory. The whites are cloudy and thick because they contain vast amountsof riboflavin; they don't run when you break them into a skillet, they stand proud in the hot butter. They are so richly flavored, even an ordinary omelet becomes a culinary masterpiece.

I really am amazed by the whole process of egg production. My little flock are Australorps, a chicken from Australia. They are all black, but absolutely not solely one color. Their coal colored feathers sparkle in the sunshine with iridescent hues of purple, teal, deep rose, and sparkling deep black. Rather than the usual bright yellow feet and beak of most of their avian sisters they coordinate their ensemble with chic black feet and dark beak. It is important to accessorize one's outfit well. They are the world record holders for egg laying; one a day for a three year period. It is amazing and awe inspiring to think that these small birds create a large package of a near perfect food on a daily basis. To create that much protein takes a lot of inputs. If you own chickens, you are well aware...it seems all they do is eat, and eat, and eat, and eat. From the time they rise till the time they retire, all they do is forage, eat, and drink.

I have done lots of research on owning chickens, and fancied myself quite the successful chicken rancher. As is my habit, I check each day to see that the girls have all they need: oyster shell, grit, water, greens, worms or grubs, a bit of chicken scratch, and layer crumble. They live in a very stylish, all cedar mid century modern coop and run with a beautiful lucite skylight top. Man, I should live so well. They also receive plenty of appreciation and affection.

I keep the layer crumble in a water-tight and air tight 7 gallon bucket. When I was fetching their feed I noticed something odd. A bit of mold had congealed some of the granules down one side of the bucket. I have read that moldy feed can be toxic to chickens, but this was quite isolated, and ran down one side of the bucket exclusively. It must be my Scottish genes...I am extremely frugal, I hate to waste anything. I removed the moldy bit, it didn't appear to have penetrated anywhere else. Feed is expensive, I rationalized. I thought to myself, "should I, or shouldn't I"? "Oh, I am sure it will be fine, chickens are such hearty creatures...I am sure they have eaten worse." Famous last words.

By next morning, Lightning Bolt was dead. What a shock! I was in stunned disbelief as I called for the girls and only two came. Snowflake came, but didn't look quite right. Her comb was dull and flaccid rather than its normally scarlet erect self. Her eyes were heavy, she was listless. Mrs. Mc Nugget didn't look much better. I am so tired of death, I am tired of sorrow, I am tired of loss. I wept. It is amazing how much joy a few birds can provide.

I am very happy to tell you, Mrs. McNugget survived, and has apparently fully recovered. But, my other two girls perished, and its my fault. I care for my grand-daughters each afternoon to my utter delight. They are my assistant gardeners and farmers. They were as devastated as I was. I have found it best to not shield children from death, whether human or animal. When they arrived, one hen had already succumbed; number two had just passed. They wanted to see the body, to handle their little hen, to still give kindness to their little bird. Life is full of lessons...the last year has been hard for them too.

Mold contains mycotoxins and is incredibly deadly to your chickens in even the smallest quantity. If you see any mold at all, dispose of any and all food in question. Never, ever. Never feed your birds questionable food. Death is swift and sure. I have read of entire large flocks wiped out in a day or two by feeding mold contaminated grain. Do not store your food outside, unless it is kept out of direct sun. it should be protected from extreme temperature fluctuations; condensation can cause mold even in an airtight container.

Being a gardener or a person that cares for livestock brings us into battles with the forces of nature. King Solomon said "if you want to find wisdom, go to a funeral". I sometimes ponder how we ever manage to feed a world full of 7,000,000,000 people. Drought, pestilence, plague, and the very forces of the earth make our very residence on this spinning orb precarious at best. But, as we have discovered. Life goes on. You awake to face another day. Spring is around the bend, There is a resurrection. And in time..."Ex tenebris lux".

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths. Joni Eareckson Tada
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths. Joni Eareckson Tada
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths. Joni Eareckson Tada
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_death5.html