Eggs put the E in Effort. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the chance to watch a hen lay an egg or hear her egg song. I don’t know if you’re aware of the immense daily effort it takes to ensure that your chickens are healthy, happy, and safe. If you do, you never look at an egg the same way again. When you witness the immense effort it takes to lay an egg, and realize the hours and hours of care that goes into each one, they are no longer a commodity. It is a gift from a living animal. I never knew, I never was aware until I had my own flock. Now, when I watch old movies and see egg waste, I cringe. Not just because food waste is negligent and awful, because it is. Because I know a hen, most likely one not as happy as my girls, gave a piece of herself and her energy to make that egg and someone wasted it. I have deep, heartfelt love for my chickens. Working with them every day I become ever more enamored with their world and their complexities. Chickens are not things. They are not resources. They are living breathing animals deserving of our benevolence and respect. When they are treated unkindly, kept in horrible conditions like those in factory “farms”, we squander and abuse that gift. Chickens belong in nature, with access to sunshine and fresh air. Every egg like every chicken is something special and unique. Cherish the chickens in your lives and treat them with the kindness they so richly deserve.