WHAT ADHYA & ANJU LEARNT FROM REARING CHICKENS
- Madhukar Dama
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
IN ADDITION TO GETTING EGGS FOR MAKING BREAD, CAKES, OMLETTES & CURRIES!
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Adhya and Anju never sat in a classroom to learn biology or ethics. Instead, their tiny school was a bamboo coop in their backyard. It smelled of straw and sounded of soft peeps. Today, they watched chicks fight their way out of eggs. No one told them it was science. No one told them it was sacred. But they stood still, hands open, learning everything that mattered. What began as curiosity became a living curriculum—no syllabus, no exams, just everyday lessons in truth, growth, pain, patience, and deep care.
What they have learnt from two batches of chicken breeding (10 last time and 12 this time) over last 8 months, can never be understood by me. But I can think of some points as below 👇
🧪 Scientific Lessons
1. Eggs need warmth.
2. Life starts in the egg.
3. Not all eggs hatch.
4. Embryos grow daily.
5. Heat speeds growth.
6. Cold delays hatching.
7. Yolk feeds the chick.
8. Shells let air pass.
9. Chicks breathe inside.
10. They peep before hatching.
11. Light affects laying.
12. Food affects health.
13. Calcium makes strong shells.
14. Hens lay without roosters.
15. Roosters fertilize eggs.
16. Poop helps plants.
17. Chickens molt.
18. Feathers regrow.
19. Diseases spread fast.
20. Sunlight kills germs.
21. Pecking shows hierarchy.
22. Birds have social rules.
23. Eggs can rot.
24. Bacteria grow fast.
25. Clean coops prevent illness.
26. Heat stress kills.
27. Cold chicks chirp loudly.
28. Chickens need grit.
29. Digestive systems differ.
30. Crop stores food.
31. Beaks help peck.
32. Claws help scratch.
33. Comb shows health.
34. Blood spots aren't dangerous.
35. Broody hens stop laying.
36. Vent tells health.
37. Chickens have body heat.
38. Different breeds behave differently.
39. Night triggers roosting.
40. Chickens see colors.
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🌱 Life Lessons
41. Life is fragile.
42. Patience pays off.
43. Death happens.
44. Not all survive.
45. Gentle hands matter.
46. Animals feel pain.
47. Routine is vital.
48. Kindness builds trust.
49. Silence calms birds.
50. Sharp sounds scare them.
51. Responsibility is daily.
52. Skipping care has costs.
53. Clean homes protect health.
54. Early risers succeed.
55. Waiting is normal.
56. Nature isn’t perfect.
57. All life needs love.
58. Some peck harder.
59. Weak get bullied.
60. Protect the small.
61. Warmth brings comfort.
62. Food must be earned.
63. Sharing water matters.
64. Some eat more.
65. Some lag behind.
66. Each chick is different.
67. Habits form early.
68. Fear spreads quickly.
69. Leadership can be cruel.
70. Observation sharpens focus.
71. Quiet teaches more.
72. Death isn’t failure.
73. Cleaning is healing.
74. Peace needs effort.
75. No shortcuts last.
76. Food waste attracts pests.
77. Simple tools are enough.
78. Watching teaches more.
79. We learn by doing.
80. Nature rewards effort.
81. Time teaches everything.
82. Growth takes time.
83. Compassion is power.
84. Less talk, more care.
85. Slow is steady.
86. All mess is fixable.
87. Beauty fades fast.
88. Noise scares others.
89. Comfort isn’t luxury.
90. Kindness isn’t weakness.
91. Every egg holds hope.
92. Ruined eggs hurt.
93. Hurt chicks suffer.
94. Silence helps healing.
95. Birds read your vibe.
96. You can't rush life.
97. Death comes silently.
98. Nature loves rhythm.
99. Touch matters.
100. Life has cycles.
Months passed. The coop now danced with feathered life, each hen a story, each chick a chapter. Adhya cleaned quietly. Anju measured feed without asking. They didn’t quote books—but they knew what death smells like, how fragile warmth is, and why silence heals. Their fingers had touched wet feathers and broken shells. Their hearts had softened. In the world’s eyes, they were just village girls with chickens. But in truth, they had learnt what most never do—that real education isn’t told, it’s touched, lived, and slowly absorbed, one cracked egg at a time.
