Neurosis of the Lily Livered Chicken

I have had chickens now for about two years and everyday I learn something new about them. Chickens do better when they have moms is a biggie as far as lessons go. I have one hen we call a torpedo chicken because of her shape. Her name is Azzie and she's very neurotic. She runs away from other chickens, but lays down for the rooster and smashes herself to the ground when danger is near. She showed up on our farm one day with no mom and I put her in a cage for her own protection. My belief is that this caused her to be even weirder than most chickens. She has five absolutely normal offspring, but she runs in terror from them now that they are almost grown. She is Rhode Island Red by appearance, but her long shape causes me to believe she has something else in her DNA.

Chickens have weird behaviors. When a chicken finds a bug or is given a treat of some sort they make a weird noise that lets all the others know they have something special. It sounds like they are bragging and rather than keeping hungry pecking competitors away, it draws them. Oddly though they all do it so I guess it balances life out for them. I tend to throw tomatoes out for my hens and when I do I am greeted with a chorus of silly hens announcing their goodies as they run off to eat their prizes in solitude. They never get to eat in solitude because all the other hens follow the noise. They are smart enough to recognize bragging, but not smart enough to suppress the urge to cackle with delight.

I have one hen that isn't afraid of anything. I've seen her attack a skunk that was killing her chick and almost destroy and devour a dove that was competing for food in the chick nursery. One day I will chronicle all the weird behaviors I've witnessed. For now I guess I should go check their water and food.

Cerise

Happy Camper Chicky Mama

My mama Auracauna has many voices and many postures that tickle me. She has four baby chicks and she is one fired up grizzly mama when anyone (including me) comes too close. Yesterday I heard a new sound come from her. It was a happy sound, much like the sound a two year old makes when you give him an ice cream cone. What caused this new song to exude from "Princess"? Chopped up corn tortillas. I had taken two corn tortillas and chopped them as fine as I possibly could. When I put them in front of her and her beebers she chattered with delight. I wanted to see if it was a one time fluke, so this morning I repeated me experiment. I chopped up tortillas and put a handful down in front of her and her tiny quartet. Voila, she made that same happy camper chattery sound! She actually sounds like she's feeling sneaky. I don't have the heart to tell her I gave chopped tortillas to all the hens. She doesn't need to know. She feels sneaky and special and every new mom needs that from time to time.

On another note, my poor cat Freckles, better known as Frek is making doleful noises these days. We forbid her from going outside for the same reason "Princess" needs spoiled. Frek is one awesome huntress. A baby chick would be too big a temptation for her. They are easy pickens. It's obvious to me that Frek is housebound by the number of doves that are congregating around the chicken feeders. Enjoy it while you can birds, once the chicks are a little bigger you will be easy prey for my hunting starved black panther of a kitten.

There is a good side to Frek being stuck indoors. She is so clean and looks so healthy. She's mad as a wet hen (my hens like to wet themselves, but not have you wet them). Frek is doing her best to adjust, but she does send lamenting cries out when she thinks she might get to go out. Poor gal. Soon baby, soon.


Cerise