The gifting economy and how I got my chickens

Sitting eating dinner and looking out at my chickens with my mind on an earlier discussion I’d just had on building community and systems change I was reminded about the network of people that helped me get my chickens.

The chicken coop is was originally a bird aviary that a friend had picked up from the roadside and then donated to me when I wanted to get chickens.

A couple of from my  yoga class came with their trailer and helped me move it to my house and they also built me the fantastic nest box out of reused materials.

I got some of the fencing and the gate for the run from colleagues at work – they were taking down an aviary in the house they had just bought and were happy to have it go to good use. My brother helped me put the fencing up.

I did have to buy a few things, including the chickens, but it worked out a lot cheaper than buying everything new, and best thing is that I get a reminder of all the wonderful people who helped out when I see the chickens.

We live in a society that conditions us to believe that everything needs to have a monetary value attached to it and yet what can be achieved with freely given help can be “priceless”!