A Chicken Story

It has been awhile since I told you a chicken story and I thought today would be a good day for one. I have 5 Silkies now and 3 Mlle Fluers. It is a good thing that Mlle Flures are tiny chickens because if they were bigger they would rule the world. I have one hen who wants to fight the big hens all of the time and does and no matter how many times they beat her up she never gives up. She is just spunky.

I have spent most of the summer fooling with the chicks I bought in the spring. I had to introduce them into the coop so they could all live together. They don't want a happy family. The Silkie doesn't seem to mind and I catch her even going with the others. She has been the only Silkie most of her life and seems to have taken to the new invaders just fine.

I let them out in the yard in the morning and then put them up at sundown. The other night I was standing outside the coop watching. The older hens were pecking on the ground and not paying any attention to me. The chicks who are now almost full grown were crowded next to the door in a little furry clump begging me to let them out or save them. On first notice you would think it was the chicks who had the problem because the older hens looked like they were minding their own business.

One of the things I am always telling myself is they are chickens, they will work it out. I kept wondering if I should just walk back and put these guys on the roost so they don't get pecked. As long as I stood there peace and calm was every where. I knew the older hens were watching me intently and I knew the young ones were terrified. I couldn't see why though. I wish I understood chicken because I am sure there was some language going on in that coop.

 I turned to go toward the house when pandemonium broke out. My oldest Mlle Fluer had went right into the middle of the group like in a bar room brawl, and if chickens could laugh she was standing there with a white feather in her beak and an black and white chicks were flying everywhere. I sighed and went back and got in the coop and caught each chick and put it on the roost while all the while I knew that hen was laughing at me because she had won some battle I know nothing about.

When as a young girl I greatly identified with Fern of Charlotte's Web. As I was standing there thinking and watching I thought, my life really hasn't changed too much from then. Who needs Television when there is drama in the chicken house every day.

But I am secretly laughing up my sleeve. This next spring, the white and black are both roosters. You know what roosters do in the spring. Those little hens will be getting a  lesson when those roosters start doing what roosters do pulling out neck feathers.

Then we will see who is laughing.

Have a great Thursday,
~Kim~