Can a love of poultry be transmitted through our DNA?

My dad loved things that have wings, in particular 4-seater aircraft, Canada geese, swans and peacocks. He also loved chickens. I remember Japanese silkies, bantam hens, guinea fowl and regular assorted coloured chickens, none of which I paid any attention to as a teenager.

His great-granddaughter in faraway Niagara-on-the-Lake, has had a soft spot for chickens since she was small, gathering eggs, cradling the birds in her arms and carrying them up a ladder to "teach them to fly".

Josephine is now a teenager and still enjoys her chickens. Her favourite is an unusual character named Hairdo, for obvious reasons. This buff crested Polish chicken, which is the name of her breed, is a family pet with a lot of personality and is occasionally invited for free-range visits in the living room.

Josie says Hairdo is a wonderful animal who is a bit on the spectrum, but is the tamest chicken she's ever met.

This extraordinary animal with the pompom head and hidden eyes is 4 or 5 years old. Her family is hoping they can enjoy her antics for many more years.

I asked Josephine a few questions about chickens. Here's what I learned:

  • Her favourite things about them are their affection, their funny personalities and their eggs which are not factory farmed
  • The worst thing is their poop
  • She would recommend them as pets to anyone who is responsible enough to care for them

I admire this 14-year old's individuality. She loves her cat and dog too, but her interest in chickens is a unique detail that adds to her experience and her personality.

Another inter-generational link: She and her great-grandfather (my father Paul) are the only people I know who have hatched baby chicks in an incubator in their bedroom.

The pet of the family posing elegantly here with Josephine's mother, Jenny.