The Batman Chicken
When we first moved to the farm, I had this romantic idea. I imagined our kids would grow up surrounded by animals. They would enjoy wide open spaces and the experiences you just can’t get from a screen. I wanted them to learn by doing. I wanted them to feel dirt under their nails. I wanted them to understand what it means to care for something living.
So, before I’d even unpacked the boxes, I decided our first step toward “farm life” would be chickens.
The only problem? I knew absolutely nothing about chickens.
Naturally, I turned to the best source of advice (and sometimes chaos) Facebook. Someone there offered me a few Bantam chickens. But reading it super fast I thought it read ” Batman chickens for sale”.
Off we went as a family, excited and slightly clueless. Our little “Batman” chickens were boxed up in the backseat after collection. We stopped at the local produce store in our new town. We needed to grab some feed and supplies.
I asked the lady behind the counter if she had anything for baby chickens. She smiled and asked what breed I had.
“Batman chickens,” I said proudly.
She paused. “Sorry, what was that?”
“Batman,” I repeated, completely confident.
Trying to hold back her laughter, she asked if she could see one. So out I went to the car, came back holding my chicken, and that was it ,she lost it. Laughter, before she asked if she could take a photo of me and my chicken for their Facebook page. She then told me they were in fact Bantam chickens, not batman.
Later that night, I checked Facebook… and there I was ,smiling, holding my chicken, under the caption:
“Meet our newest local, who came in to buy supplies for her Batman chicken!”
That was my warm (and humbling) welcome to our new local town and the start of our farm journey.
Unfortunately, my “Batman” chickens didn’t last long. Lesson number one of farm life ….make sure your coop is snake-proof.
Really snake proof! A snake got into ours one afternoon and took my daughter’s favourite chicken. It couldn’t get back out, so it regurgitated it and slithered away, leaving behind a heartbreaking mess and more .
Our daughter was only eight at the time and absolutely devastated. So, naturally, we had our first farm funeral.
Under the big white jacaranda tree, we dug a hole. I couldn’t bring myself to bury the poor chicken as our dogs would’ve dug it up. So after speaking to my sister on the phone she suggested I fill a box with rice. It was beautifully wrapped with a bow and dried flowers. I made it heavy enough to seem believable. The little chicken went into a Coles bag and in the bin. Sorry Chickie !
As my husband said some sweet words about “Chickie,” our daughter threw strawberries and carrots into the grave onto the box. I suddenly thought about the fact that we were burying a box of rice. I burst out laughing.
My daughter spun around, horrified, and glared at me through tears.
I quickly composed myself and said, “I just get really emotional sometimes at these things.”
That was the first of many moments that would teach us what life on land is really about. These moments are messy, funny, heartbreaking, and real.
In a world that’s constantly chasing perfection and convenience, farm life has taught me the opposite. It’s about learning as you go. Find humour in the mistakes. Hold onto those imperfect, unforgettable memories. These become the heart of family life. I still laugh knowing that a box of rice is buried deep under that tree.
The Curated Harvest x
The Curated Harvest 