Photo by Melanie Phillips
Somewhere in the Welsh countryside are two Buff Orpington hens nestled in the backyard of a quaint cottage with two remarkable artists and one Tibetan terrier, called Lily.
Chortle and Bumble are very lucky indeed to be in the loving hands of Melanie Phillips and her husband Nicholas, par excellence, animal portrait artists www.pet-portraitartist.com in the beautiful country of Wales. Melanie is no newcomer when it comes to having chickens as pets. They have been part of her life as long as she can remember. As a child, her pet chicken would often wait at the garden gate for her return from school. First, a handful of corn and then into the house, even entering her mother’s bedroom to admire her fine feathers in the wardrobe mirror.
Some things become family tradition. Although Chortle and Bumble have replaced the garden gate with the backdoor and corn for tasty milk crackers, one thing remains unchanged, they are still Melanie’s pride and joy!
It is no wonder that Chortle and Bumble are so lovable. Buff Orpingtons are called the “Golden Retrievers of the Chicken World”—not only because of their color but because they are very social and seek companionship. Like dogs, chickens are very loyal and enjoy sitting in your lap and being cuddled. They respond to their names and will follow you anywhere but are also fiercely independent like cats and do have a mind of their own.
Like cats and dogs, studies have shown that keeping chickens releases oxytocin in the brain, reducing stress. Chickens are even used as therapy animals for treating autism.
But chickens are not only healthy for the mind and soul. They have another advantage over cats and dogs; they are also good for your garden. Chickens are one of the most environmentally sustainable pets. Their manure is an excellent fertilizer for the garden, and they are skilled at ridding gardens of pests and weeds without using harmful pesticides.
Of course, chickens produce eggs, and although eggs are not part of a vegan lifestyle, there are always friends and people in need who would appreciate the eggs just the same. Ironically, by keeping a few pet chickens of your own, you’re reducing the demand for store-bought eggs and sending a message to factory farms that are cruel and abusive.
Although raising chickens as pets is still considered unusual, Chortle and Bumble hold a very special place in Melanie’s heart for “The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone,” a reflection by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and personified by Melanie in her enduring commitment to her adorable pet chickens.