The Chicken Couple

Hubby and I were at the hawker centre in our housing area to have our lunch. While waiting for our noodles to be served, I noticed this feathered couple behind the stalls. As usual, I took out my mobile phone and walked over to photograph this beautiful couple.

These looked like a loving couple. When I was a little girl, my mom reared pigs, ducks and chickens behind our village home. I used to chase after them, played with them and carried them around. And it was fun collecting the chicken eggs.

And in our current home, we have a small open area beside our house where my father-in-law used to rear a few chickens. That was before I started my garden.

My father-in-law loved to eat poached free range chicken. And thinking it was a good idea to rear our own chickens, I bought some little chicks from the wet market and brought them home to rear.

My father-in-law and my kids had great fun feeding and watching the little chicks. In a way it kept my father-in-law from boredom.

My father-in-law used to slaughter the chickens used for cooking. During Chinese New Year festive seasons, it brought great joy to him when we gifted some of the chickens to our friends.

My father-in-law is no longer with us now and we do not rear any more chickens. I do not know how or even dare to slaughter a chicken on my own.

 If I were to rear chickens now, I would treat them as pets.

Maybe I will keep them for their eggs.

Linking to Saturday's Critters.

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind,

to reward each person according to their conduct,

according to what their deeds deserve."

Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay

are those who gain riches by unjust means.

When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,

and in the end they will prove to be fools.

(Jeremiah 17:10-11, NIV)