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CHICKEN'S BREASTS

by Rutagengwa Claude Shema

By Dr.Claude Shema-Rutagengwa

It was in the year 1997. My son Isimbi (which means pearl in Kinyarwanda, the native  language of Rwanda) was 3 years old.  He was a very clever boy. Then one afternoon time, he and I were  just walking  around to get some fresh air after a long sunny day. At that time, some chickens were around as well, getting some meals on the ground. One of them had some little chicks, and were seriously taken care of by their  mom, an adult chicken.

Isimbi watched how admirable it was for those little chicks to lie down under the old chicken, and curiously approached me and asked:

“Dad, can you help me to lift up this chicken so that I can see if her breast looks like the one with cows? I want to taste milk from a chicken as well. I am really eager to do that Dad. Please help me”.

I laughed, and replied to him: "Chickens do not have breast like cows or goats.”

But the boy was not convinced and then told me, "No dad! You are wrong. Because without breasts, chicks would die because they are too little to catch insects and eat them, and they are also two little to eat solid meals like corn…Where do they get milk from, then?”

Then I had to explain more and more. ”Look, you are right, those little chicks can’t eat hard meals, although they can’t catch small insects by themselves, but they depend on their mom. These adult chickens normally catch the insects and meals and, making food into small peaces, they then feed the chicks.

"Only that, Dad?," Isimbi quizzed.

"Yes!," I replied.

“But I can agree a little bit. So, if they don’t get any milk from mom’s breast then, what are they doing under their mom’s wings?” Isimbi asked with astonishment.

"Well, just they are there to relax, sleep and be protected by their mom, so that the eagles and other predators do not get them and eat them." I explained.

"Hm! Ok. I understand. Can you lift up the chicken so that I can see myself if she doesn’t really have the breast?” Isimbi begged again.

"I can’t. Because when a hen has chicks, they become more aggressive, and can even bite me," I explained again.

"No, chicken can’t do that, fr she is very calm and peaceful. If you don’t mind, I can try and check it out." Isimbi insisted!

"Ok, you can try. But carefully," I told him.

Then he tried first to see under the chicken’s wings whether there was no breast, and immediately chicks screamed  and the chicken reacted aggressively with spontaneous bites on Isimbi’s hands and head, so he ran away crying.

I ran behind him to calm him down and comfort  him.

While he was looking at some wounds from bites on his hands, he told me, ”Dad, you are right, chickens do not have breast. But they do pretend to have them. They contain enormous aggressivity under their wings instead!"

                                                      ….(^_^)…