When we buy our eggs
We want to know
Cage-Free, Free Range, Pastured?

We want to see a flock of hens
In a sea of grass.
We all know,
Chickens want grass.

But they want more.
Chickens also want a stable home,
The same place to sleep in every night
And lay eggs in every day.

Protection from cold winds, rain and snow.
Allowed to wander for acres,
Chickens will always come home at night.
They are the original creatures of habit.

Chickens also want shaded places,
Under a porch, and out of the sun.
Overhead protection when the rooster says GO!
The earliest chickens lived in dark jungles.

Chickens want to get down in the dirt,
Every day.
They wallow in established dust pits for hours,
On their backs,
Feet in the air.
Animals that exude Joy
As loudly as a happy puppy.

Chickens want the opposite sex.
A few roosters in the flock
To provide natural tranquility and protection.
The hens relax and forage,
Someone has their back.

Chickens want to be social beings.
They negotiate for position in the flock,
They move up and down in rank.
And up and down the roosts.
They have their favorites to sleep with.

There is more to a life of a happy chicken
Than just grass.