My brother, Ben, and I lived with our grandparents in the little town of Celina, Ohio from 1943 to 1949. We didn’t have much of this world’s goods but what we did have were “parents” that loved us and wanted to share what little they had with us to make our lives interesting.
During this period of time living in a farming community we had available colored chicks at Easter for our amusement. They hadn’t figured out yet that this was cruel and unusual punishment of these little chickens to have them spray colored and given out as play things for Easter. Grandpa got us two of them - one red and one green. Ben chose the red one and named him Jasper. I got the green one (my favorite color) and named it after Grandpa - Jesse. Grandpa’s first name was Jesse but he never used it. Always went by J.I. Moore.
It was our job to feed and take care of these little chicks. They were fun to play with and watch grow. In time they grew up to be normal looking chickens and lost their color. Chickens are only good for one thing and I can tell you they were delicious! Grandma fixed them up for Sunday dinners. We had no trouble separating the idea of them being our pets as little chicks and our meal as grown up chickens. We lived in a small town surrounded by farms which grew animals for food. It was a natural progression.
Colored chickens for Easter is a thing of the past but they were a part of my past.
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You had a good upbringing with the painted baby chickens. I received painted duckies but didn't get them to eatable size as my dog ate them leaving nothing but web feet,a bill and feathers all over the yard.
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