Hen Chronicles: Chickens as works of art

There's nothing exotic about our two hens, Snow and Nala. They don't hail from any of the esoteric breeds that crop up in my reference books, like the Belgian D'Uccle, the Houdan or the Silkie. Both of our chickens are Plymouth Rocks. Snow is white. Nala is a Barred Rock.

As chickens go, "the girls" are not at all unusual in size or appearance. Their eggs are not blue, or green, as is the case with some breeds, but a standardized light brown in color. Their plumage is garden-variety chicken wear of the type sported by chickens everywhere. Their combs and wattles are not particularly distinctive, as combs and wattles go. In effect, Snow and Nala are largely indistinguishable from countless other hens of their breed.

Yet if you watch their movements and examine them closely, with a studious eye, it becomes clear that they have individual quirks and distinctive personalities, despite their apparent ordinariness. Each discarded feather is a thing of beauty. The girls may be humble creatures, but they are works of art as well. As are all birds of every species, each in its own way.

Snow (left) and Nala