The animal that I wanted to explore deeply is the chicken, because even though I already know a lot about chickens, and we eat chickens in the US, I have never lived on a piece of land that also farms them.
In Eswatini, I have had a completely different relationship with chickens than I otherwise would in the US. I live with about thirty on my homestead, all of which wander around freely as they wish. Often, they will wander into my house looking for food, and I have to shoo them away. They also poop everywhere and unapologetically. I find myself consistently having to clean up their poop from inside my house or on my patio.
Almost every homestead in Eswatini farms chickens, and they are a staple food here. As often as is sustainable, children as young as nine living on the homestead are instructed to slaughter and cook a chicken for family meals. These chickens are called inyama tinkuku (home chickens).
I'm sure you know what a chicken looks like, but as someone who grew up in a big city, I'd never taken the time to look at chickens up close. Their legs bend at the knee, but in the opposite direction that human legs bend. Their head bobs back and forth as they walk. They sometimes play in dirt, ruffing it up and getting it in their feathers. Chickens are also quite fast, especially younger chickens.
