Life and death of feathered friends keeps me in the present when grief threatens

Raising rescued hens brought unexpected lessons in loss, sustainability, and the healing power of nature’s daily rhythms

David Kent's chickens. In the 18 months since they arrived, they have produced more than 1,000 eggs.

In these pages last month, the CEO of Global Action Plan Ireland Hans Zomer wrote about how we, as a nation, need to create a lifestyle that is not only more sustainable but also “more rewarding, taking satisfaction from growing your own food, reducing waste, and living in harmony with nature.” I was reminded of that piece shortly after clocking on for work at 6.30am recently when I got an immediate reminder about my own relationship with nature.

More specifically, my relationship with the six chickens in my back garden, who at that very moment were clucking and squawking to be let out into the crisp spring air to have a nosy at the world.