Ever wondered what the tech elites of Silicon Valley do to spend their weekends or just relax at home? Well… they raise chickens and sheep, dress them in fancy diapers and indulge in discussions about what breed of chicken should be bought next.
According to a Washington Post report, growing chickens as pets and having homegrown eggs for the kids at home, is the latest fad among this bunch of super-rich tech professionals who can shell out exorbitant amounts to the likes of $20,000 to build special coops for their chickens.
The report cites the example of Johan Land, a top executive at Waymo, who has 13 chickens, some sheep, three children and a fourth on its way and a wife. After a grueling day at work, which requires him to stay glued to his computer screen, Land likes to spend the evenings and weekends with a glass of wine and his family, which includes his chickens and sheep.
“It’s a fascinating thing to sit and watch the animals because instead of looking at a screen, you’re looking at the life cycle,” Land said. “It’s very different from the abstract work that I do.”
While rearing chickens to get a daily supply of eggs at home used to be more of a rural practice, with this, chickens are sure get a raise in their social status as many in the Silicon Valley has turned it into a status symbol.
The Post writes that in the Valley, chicken owners, who are mostly tech geniuses, “approach their birds as any savvy venture capitalist might”. And this approach would obviously mean throwing in lots and lots of money for a good breed of chicken. The owners often employ their special skills in rearing the chickens and chart the productivity of their pets by keeping a track of the number and colour of eggs.
They also indulge in a lot of other measures like getting fancy diapers for the birds and discussions about them, to keep their chickens happy, which ultimately makes them happy!
While the average American spends about $15 on a chicken they breed, a Silicon Valley takes it to another level by spending over $350 on special species of rare heritage breeds or others with specific personality trait. Some can even produce Easter Eggs!
What’s a life without some chickens?
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