I WISH I’D KNOWN HOW MUCH I CAN LOVE A
CHICKEN!!!
If I’d known this I
would have gotten chickens sooner. Yes, I love their eggs,
their fertilizer, and sometimes even their meat (with great &
humble thanks). But oh their personalities!!!
Chicken antics
brighten every day. From the rooster chasing the hen, the
mad dash for a juicy worm & the tussle over who gets to eat
it, to the newly hatched chick discovering her first drips
dripping from a nipple waterer
. . . watching chicken TV
never lets me down!
were just two, a momma & a papa, thrown in for free with the
tiny herd of guinea hens I’d bought to keep down the tick
population. Starting out as an accidental chicken owner,
my eyes were wide open to the adventure.
Since I didn’t know
anything about raising chickens I made a few, uh, humorous
mistakes. Winter was coming on in my southern, and thus not
too cold, North Carolina hometown. Not knowing any better, I
was worried about my 7-month old chicks’ combs & toes freezing
overnight. My solution? Why bring them into the house,
of course!
I put up a roost in
front of a window, built a platform below to catch the drops &
drippings, and voila — I had some very happy chickens. I’ll
never forget the night I watched a movie with chickens squawking
in the background. Curious (the papa) went nuts!
Flapping his wings, squawking right back at the “intruder,”
defending his territory — the hilarity still makes me grin!
I can’t believe I didn’t get pics of Curious
& Redhead (the mama) on their indoor perch. The quirky
delight didn’t last long — a coyote had them for supper soon
after. SOB! At least the memories are still vivid . .
.
Chicken-love.
Yes, I have chicken-love. My chickens no longer live indoors
(just imagine the fumes . . . no room for deep
litter on that platform!). I miss that bittersweet
experience, but make up for the loss with a larger flock, a motley
crew of chicken beauty. And personality. Now, today, I
know exactly how much I can love a chicken!!!
