Poultry essays and other things

I have just come inside to my office after sitting in the sun looking at our seven Lohmann Brown hens scratching around in their litter, having a drink, and picking at some grass I have just given them. They were doing all the things that contented hens and chickens do, all very relaxing. There is a silent communication between them and me.

I remember during my commercial chick sexing days when I used to sex chickens at two large hatcheries near Melbourne during the week; and then travel to Shepparton; ( a large country town in northern Victoria) to sex chickens over the weekend at three small hatcheries. Two of the hatchery men I worked for I would often catch them, when I arrived, sitting relaxing watching their chickens scratching and running around in their brooder pens. This all happened in the days before strict disease control methods of keeping breeding farms and hatcheries separate. These two 'old time' poultry farmers had learnt to communicate with their birds.

I have always believed that people lucky enough to live, or work, close to nature have a far less stressful life. Their intimate association with animals or plants often gives them an understanding and an insight far beyond the horizons of those who have had to grow up in cities, or spend most of their life in large cities. The reason many city dwellers have pet dogs or cats, or their own piece of paradise with a garden of some kind, even if it is only in a window box, is their striving to have a silent communication with nature. It is all part of our being, it's the reason we have poultry fanciers and poultry shows, dog shows and maybe even horse racing. It is why the Martins have such a vigorous garden around their home, a pet dog, those seven 'chooks', it's is all part of man's essential bond with nature.

Being associated with animals or plants as a child translates into your adult life, you come to understand many of the relationships between animals and animals, between people and animals, and between people and plants. This nature experience also translates into the way people relate and understand each other.

Whether you call these silent communication relationships between man and animals, between man and plants or between one person and another telepathy, or believe that God speaks in silences, the ability to transmit our thoughts can be learnt through nature. A closeness to nature in any form; whether it is as a farmer, home gardener, a few chickens in your back garden or a pet dog or cat, all adds something to the way we act and think.

Most people would be aware of this if they gave it some thought. Have you noticed people who have a pet dog for example? They tend to have similar personality traits; I would even go so far to say that after a while they even start to look alike.

Whether it's plants, animals, birds or fellow human beings, in everything there is a thought transmission between man and nature. Plants, animals, birds and humans know if you think about them in a positive way and they react accordingly. All know if you like them. A lifetime with nature has taught me the truth of this silent communication between all things.

After going broke farming, I lived in the city, in poor financial circumstances, for four years. During this time I was without a pet dog, without time for gardening: it was work, study, and sleep. Working in a rubber factory at night and going to University in the day. My mind, or whatever guides you, still managed to communicate with Nature. The walk from where I parked my car to the University campus was along an avenue of English Elm trees. I found myself thinking about them: in the autumn I wondered if the leaves that grew back there next spring would be the same size as the leaves that were falling off now. Like a big forty plus year old kid I used to walk through the fallen leaves to hear the noise under my feet. In the winter I looked at the empty boughs in sympathy for their lost leaves. In the spring I watch the rapid growth of the leaves and the return of the birds. On this walk there was also an old disused horse-drinking trough, which was still kept in working order, but hadn't seen a horse for decades. There were crowded trams going past taking people to their work. These same people were helping to pay for my time at university. Young girl students went past some walking, some on bicycles, there were clean-shaven and bearded young men; some showed they noticed the 'old man' student, some didn't.

I remember reading several years ago an article on some early exponents of thought-transmission who claimed there was mind not only in humans and animal life, but in everything-in plants, minerals, even space-and the writer went on to declared that the mind gleams through every atom. Unfortunately at that time I did not enter the source of these thoughts in my work diary, so that I am now unable to give the source of these thoughts.

From my own experience over a lifetime I have no doubt that all living things have the ability to communicate with each other. If you understand and truly believe this it will enable you to live a full life. You will not only have what some used to call 'green fingers' as a gardener, but also your relationship with all creatures, big and small, will be greatly enhanced. Most importantly of all, your love of your fellow beings will be greatly enhanced also. Whether it's people, plants, animals or birds, if they 'know' you love them you will be repaid a 'thousand times'.

While the theme of these essays is poultry, everything is interrelated. Whether you are engaged in the commercial side of farming, a poultry fancier, a commercial gardener, or just a 'backyarder', as I am now, there is a silent communication between all things; irrespective of whether you are conscious of it or not. Everything is interrelated, everything communicates.

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