Although it is hard to tell from this picture, the two flocks are currently occupying the same territory. This is historical! Not to mention hysterical.I had thought it would never happen. Especially not after this morning when Suzie spent at least ten minutes doing a call-and-response crowing session with the rooster next door. Sigh. When am I going to face that fact that she's a he? Dang.
But knowing that I have at least one other rooster in the new flock, I had just about abandoned hope and faith in the one-party chicken system.
And then this morning, I went out to feed them their treats (grapes, collard greens, scratch) and I put up a barrier to the little breezeway so the babies could eat in peace without big ol' Suze or mean ol' Mabel coming in and demanding all the money. ("This here's our territory, see? And we get everything in it. So back away from the safe and no one gets hurt.")
I just went out to check on something entirely different and what to my wondering eyes did appear but THIRTEEN CHICKENS IN THE CHICKEN COOP! They had all but Lucille (who is either the fattest or the dumbest chicken) managed to get out of the breezeway, squeezing past the barrier, and I suppose they just couldn't get back in and guess what? NO ONE DIED!
I let Lucille out too and she's hanging with the others now. Suzie is acting a bit pissy again but maybe things will calm down and everyone will just hold claws and sing Kumbyyah and they'll all break bread together at the big silver feeder.
I hope so.
The sight of all those chickens scratching and pecking at bugs together sure made me happy. Like the mother of fourteen whose babies have all gathered for Thanksgiving dinner, sitting together at the table with forks in hands, and smiles on faces, waiting patiently to dig into the roast, uh, cornbread.
Yeah. That's it. The roast cornbread!
Peace, y'all. If chickens can come together in peace, why can't we?
And live in perfect harmony.
(Do you think the heat has affected my brains?)
I think it is a dsitcin possibility, my friend. And yet...so entertaining to all of us!
ReplyDeleteDO you eat chicken?
That's so cool. I knew it would happen. How are Henry and Shel reacting to each other?
ReplyDeleteI've secretly been wondering about that, too. Didn't dare ask. But now I'm daring to give strength to Kori by joining her...
ReplyDeleteI got a great picture of a chicken jail there, with the white pride gang being all threatening to the others, and then some hippy teacher chicken coming in to teach them that it's NOT COOL to extort corn from others, resulting in all the chickens getting along happily, even in the showers.
(We get National Geographic here, which has nighttime programs about American jails - does it show?)
Mmmm, looks like dinner. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is going to sound really sexist, but one would never say that a rooster acts pissy! Susie is a rooster, accept the fact that she's a he and....oh dear...do you think he's gay??? I have seen some pissy drag queens, mostly in movies. Do you think he's a drag queen? If so, I should probably keep calling him by 'she.'
ReplyDeleteThe internet needs to know if he's a he or she. I can't deal with the uncertainty of it!
I'm so happy for you and your brood. Cluck, cluck!
ReplyDeleteAre the crickets singing a differnt tune today? Change, change, change to the tune of Chain of Fools, maybe? :)
Kori- Of course I eat chicken. Not my chicken, but I eat chicken. I love chicken. I'm thinking about eating dog.
ReplyDeleteDTG- Well, now that the barrier is removed, the young'uns are back in the breezeway. But I feel that very important first steps in the negotiation process have been made.
Mwa- See my answer to Kori about chicken-eating. National Geographic has shows about prisons? Really? Damn. I think I need to get Bill Clinton over to help the chickens become as one.
Marsha- I wish it would start looking like breakfast.
Lucy- Where is your human? What have you done with her.
Men can act pissy. Oh yes they can.
And I think we will soon know for sure- either Suzie will lay an egg or lay a hen. Then we will know.
Ms. Windy- It's so damn hot the crickets are mute.
Maybe the heat has addled my brain too, because you're making perfect sense to me!
ReplyDeleteAnd damn, I am craving me some chicken! (although if I step in yet another pile of cat hairball/puke delight, I may get out the crockpot and slow cook some cat:)
Your chickens knew Mama was having a bad day, so they're playing nice =)
ReplyDeleteRachel- You know, sometimes I wonder how much better the world would be if we all raised chickens instead of cats and dogs.
ReplyDeleteSJ- I think it was the fact that the babies couldn't get back into their "space." But it did make me happy.
I think it IS the heat. But you're funny anyway and I'm most impressed by your numerous posts. It's like your my neighbor, and I wish that you actually were!
ReplyDeleteHmmm--I take it back about you being crazy due to heat. Or rather that you're entitled to be crazy. I just read a review of a book in the NY Times -- the book is called Cold - Adventures in the World's Frozen Places -- and opens with a paragraph that includes this sentence: "Air-conditioning made Florida livable."
ReplyDeleteSo there -- you're entirely justified because you're currently "living" somewhere unliveable.
I'm rambling, right?
I'm going to make some cornbread tomorrow after reading this. I'm getting to know these chickens now!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- I don't just make all this shit up, you know. IT'S ALL BASED IN REALITY. My reality.
ReplyDeleteJoy- What kind of cornbread do you make?