More on Conspiracies

31, damp cold this morning. Cloudy but no precipitation.

I feel a little silly writing about conspiracies when we see what is happening in Ukraine. Those poor people. This world is like a suburban neighborhood squabbling over where each other's property line is, and of course it's the bullies who push the issue to the point of conflict. It makes me wonder where this particular bully will stop. Will he want the Baltic states next? What about Russia's other neighbors? I am sure the whole region is nervous. And of course there are those taking sides on the controversy, some thinking Russia is right, some arguing the opposite. Our opinions won't change the course of this war, though, no matter how heated and loud we become.

I sometimes wonder if this move was made because Russia senses that the US is weak and divided right now. Goodness knows, we have enough squabbling here to keep us busy for years to come. And conspiracy theories? They are everywhere, the most controversial of course being the last election. And maybe the one before that. 

But here is an example of a couple of conspiracy theories I heard in my rural area just recently:

In the grocery store: "They're out of the Gallo Peach wine again. They never have it in stock."

Me: "Maybe because it's so popular, they can't keep it on the shelf?" (Mentally gagging at the idea of peach wine)  

Her: "No, I'll tell you what it is. It's the government doing it. They're controlling it. Take it from me, that's what's going on here."

Then yesterday in the thrift store: "I know so many people who got chickens last year, during the pandemic. But you know what? They can't get the eggs from these chickens to hatch. They bought chicks at the feed store, and raised them up, then tried to hatch some eggs but not one of them had any luck getting baby chicks from their eggs."

Clerk: "Really?"

Customer: "Yes. One man said his got so fat that they couldn't even walk."

Clerk: "Sounds like he's not feeding them right."

Customer: "No, people are saying that they've changed the DNA in the baby chicks these days, so that they can't reproduce." (No explanation of who "they" are, but we can guess--the government)   

After she leaves, the clerk and I laugh. "Reckon these people know they need a rooster to get eggs to hatch?"

Clerk: "I doubt it. City people." She laughs again.

It's not just city people, though. Lots of rural people who have never raised chickens or even been around them don't know about the rooster's role either. I guess they assume his major duty is to wake everyone at 3 AM, so who needs him?

Of course there are lots of other reasons eggs don't hatch, generally to do with temperature and humidity. Chicken houses aren't always the ideal environment for hatching chicks, but chickens who act on their own initiative and go huddle under a bush or a corner of the coop generally trot out with a nice hatch after 21 days, because the ground is moist and the hen's body provides the right amount of heat--if the weather is right. Too hot or too cold or too dry or too wet--no chicks. Our coop has a floor and is a couple feet off the ground so our broody hens rarely hatch a chick because the humidity is just not right.

The other variable is the breed. The man who hens were too fat could very likely have been meat chickens, bred to be ready to dress out in 4-6 weeks. They can be 4 pounds or more in just that short length of time. Keep them longer and yes, they will have difficulty walking, and possibly be infertile as well since they were bred for a different purpose. I suppose you could say their DNA has been altered to produce these birds, maybe? And don't forget that all-important rooster! No fertilization, no chicks.

This reminds me of a recent Facebook post, where a lady posted a photo of a very fat-looking robin, and speculated that maybe it was a pregnant female? Dear Lord. There's no such thing. Robins are birds like chickens are birds. They lay one egg a day, up to about 4, then set on them until they hatch--21 days. And of course the male is necessary here too, to fertilize those eggs. Birds chasing each other around aren't just playing! The reason the robin was so plump? Because birds fluff out their feathers for warmth in cold weather. Look it up, it's true. Those fluffed feathers act like the down vests we wear--nice puffy feathers holding in the warmth. The Facebook lady seemed doubtful until I posted some links to highly respected birding sites. At least she believed those--after all, they were on the internet, so they had to be true 😉

Anyway, those are just two of the things I've heard around here in recent days. It makes me wonder why people are so distrustful of their government, the one they and their peers elected. It seems to feed into the whole "victim" mentality that seems so prevalent now, the sense that everything and everyone is out to get everyone else. It's a sad state our country has gotten into. 

I continue to be my happy, trusting self, because honestly the alternative seems to be just miserable. I want to believe the best of everybody, and most of the time they meet my expectation. Occasionally I'm disappointed, and there are people I no longer communicate with because their negativity and belief in outlandish theories is just not healthy for me.

But I do continue to find a lot of humor in some of these theories. And laughter is good for the soul, right? So keep your eyes out for those feds hoarding the peach wine. You'll be able to spot them by their happy faces and faint pink blush.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.