Dirt- a chicken tale part 2

Dirt, soil, humus (root word for human meaning earth or ground) is a marvellous and mysterious compound. It contains the necessary ingredients for the production of life from vegetation to humans . For anyone who loves to garden you will know what I’m talking about. 

The garden is only as fruitful as the soil is healthy. 

To put your hands into the soil without gloves on is a wonderful experience. The feeling of microbes under your fingernails may not be the most exciting thing, but once you get over the anxiety it provokes, it’s ok. I do however have an aversion to worms, which if present in the garden are a sign that the soil is healthy. I had to encounter worms in an up close and personal way recently when tending to my sick chicken. She was unable to grub for worms herself because of a sore beak, and most other food that I offered her didn’t hold much appeal. When I realised that these long, slimy, fast moving creatures were like crack for a chicken, I seized the moment to keep her nourished a bit longer, and went on a worm hunt. Literally. Daily I would don my gloves for Dally and we would head into the vegetable garden. Unfortunately for her, Sally, her lightning fast carnivore-hunter sister would beat her to the chase during this game so I had to move quickly on behalf of my ailing and hungry bird. I used a separate container and gathered as many as I could in one worm-hunting expedition and then watched her devour these tasty morsels. Maybe devouring isn't the best way to describe it, rather initially it was a painfully slow process of first pointing her in the right direction and hoping that the worms would wriggle in order to catch her attention. Not only was her beak an issue, but I’m pretty sure she was going blind in one eye so the other had to be working overtime. On top of this I possibly restricted the potential for the worms to wriggle as I used them as a base to sprinkle crushed antibiotics that I was hoping might help her also. My new found skill in backyard veterinary work was quite the thing!

Worms are full of protein and I’m convinced that those nutrient packed insects kept her going for a couple more weeks as her terminal timeframe approached, protein being a powerhouse and wonderfully bodybuilding friend. Not only did I get used to handling worms I found myself searching and spotting them everywhere, on my walks, along the paths, under pot plants, in fact under anything that was dark and damp. I think between us three we stripped the property bare, which was great for Dally (and Sally) but not so much for keeping the soil well nourished. But she was worth it, and my new experience (I was not really the kind of kid to go searching for and collecting worms), enlarged my understanding of the goodness found in the garden.

Composting is another soil producing worm inviting system. During this time my compost bin was getting so full that I could hardly fit another scrap inside. As well as this I also had a rat infestation in winter, and was nervous about lifting the lid on the bin lest I find said rodent sitting munching on the banana skins on top. Fear has two faces. One imagines the worst, the other experiences it and as I had already met the rat face to face my fear was justified. So, armed with stick to fight off the rat, I decided to open the door at the bottom of the bin  to check if it was ‘working’ inside, which means ‘making compost’ and if so I could begin the process of removing the lower layers thus creating more space at the top. Now I know that at some appointed time, and if all of the necessary conditions are present that waste will turn into compost, a mix of rich black moist soil, including worms, ready to be spread and nourish the most precious areas of the garden. But every year I doubt its inherent capability even though I’ve experienced it time and time again and for some reason I fear that it’s just going to continue to be a pile of rotten waste. My surprise on opening the door to find this great turning had once again taken place reminded me of the goodness of the Universe, how her life cycles are faithful. Why do I doubt it? What’s happening in my compost bin surely mirrors what’s happening within me, within you. Times of change and transition are invitations to nurture and nourish our inner worlds where transformation takes place first, followed by the giving of our remembered or new found gifts to those around us.

from waste to wonder

So it’s Spring, and all is well in the garden again. Dally has gone to nourish the earth that she both came from and is laid in, and Sally continues to grub for worms and any other moving creature that she can find. The Christmas potatoes are growing and my new rose garden is prolific with buds. There seems to be a nice balance going on outside in the world of chickens, worms, compost, soil and plants, all of the eco-systems seen and unseen that relate within a finely tuned and complex self regulated natural world to which we belong.  I’m thankful for the part I have to play.