Grains do not exist in Nature.  Without mechnical threashing by humans,
their seeds cannot germinate.  There are no fields of wild wheat or corn.
Like seedless grapes or seedless oranges, without human intervention they
would not exist.

As their ability to reproduce is dependent on humans and most humans depend
on grains for their sustenence we are in a state of symbiosis with them.

For their part of this covenant, grasses became grains through a process
called neoteny - as did all domestic plants and animals.  Neoteny is most
easily described as the retention of juvinile traits into adulthood. It can
be caused by mutations on several parts of the DNA chain and is one the most
common results of genetic mutation.  In perhaps one in one hundred grass
plants, the plant never matures enough to drop it's seeds. Through
involentary selection by humans these became the forefathers of our modern
grains.

Thus, you will never see a neotinized jungle fowl ( chicken) eating a grain.

Remind me to tell you how wolves became dogs and Neanderthals became us
(NeanderThins).  It's a great tale from the early "Dreamtime" ( oops -
Religion is OT here ;).

Ray Audette
Author "NeanderThin"
www.NeanderThin.com