Sonny Boy Interlude
Hens who are at the bottom of the pecking order, often get most of their feathers pecked off. There's one in the coop who has no feathers on her head, back, and most of her wings, left. So a couple of days ago, we took her out of the coop, hoping her feathers will grow back in a month or so.
Now, you have to realize that except for one traumatic, and one triumphant, occurences last spring, this is the first time Sonny Boy has been able to interact with a (real)chicken, and without a wire fence separating them, since last fall.
For those who don't know who sonny Boy is, he's my psychopathic pet rooster. And whenever he approaches anything living(dogs, cats, people, occasionally horses), once he's at a certain distance, he drops a wing on the ground(the one that's turned away from you) and then hops(and I do mean hops) a half circle in front of his target(except when he comes running flat out at you and lauches a frontal attack. Did I mention he was something of a psycho?). I think he thinks he's intimidating when he does that. The more aggressive he wants to appear, the closer to his target he does it. It works with some, but not so well with others, and absolutely not with me(but I think it's cute as hell).
So anyways, Sonny suddenly has this chance at live interaction with a real honest to goodness hen who moves(unlike his stuff toy hen which....doesn't). So what does he do? He spends most of the first day either hiding, or crab hopping around this hen. All I could think of was "Oh Sonny, you are so not going to get laid that way. ::shakes head::
Day two. Some more hiding, some more hopping, and a new twist, a staring contest. Sonny and hen, 15 feet apart, staring at each, not moving. Brought to mind a Mexican stand-off, or maybe showdown at the OK corral. Go check on them half an hour later, still staring, neither one of them having seem to budge an inch. I'm thinking, "Sonny, you are so not getting laid." I think Sonny might be confused that this hen has feathers instead of, well, fur, and moves around instead of...well, not.
So about an hour after grain time, my mom shows up at the barn saying Sonny took off after her when she went to the coop(apparently, my neurotic little pest developed a protective streak a mile wide for a non-descript brown hen missing half of her feathers). So me an mom are watching him, and suddenly! Guess what! Sonny suddenly remember what real hens are for!
YES! All this long-ass post just to say(in a singsong voice):
SONNY BOY GOT LAID! SONNY BOY GOT LAID! SONNY BOY GOT LAID!
I'm so proud of my boy
Now, you have to realize that except for one traumatic, and one triumphant, occurences last spring, this is the first time Sonny Boy has been able to interact with a (real)chicken, and without a wire fence separating them, since last fall.
For those who don't know who sonny Boy is, he's my psychopathic pet rooster. And whenever he approaches anything living(dogs, cats, people, occasionally horses), once he's at a certain distance, he drops a wing on the ground(the one that's turned away from you) and then hops(and I do mean hops) a half circle in front of his target(except when he comes running flat out at you and lauches a frontal attack. Did I mention he was something of a psycho?). I think he thinks he's intimidating when he does that. The more aggressive he wants to appear, the closer to his target he does it. It works with some, but not so well with others, and absolutely not with me(but I think it's cute as hell).
So anyways, Sonny suddenly has this chance at live interaction with a real honest to goodness hen who moves(unlike his stuff toy hen which....doesn't). So what does he do? He spends most of the first day either hiding, or crab hopping around this hen. All I could think of was "Oh Sonny, you are so not going to get laid that way. ::shakes head::
Day two. Some more hiding, some more hopping, and a new twist, a staring contest. Sonny and hen, 15 feet apart, staring at each, not moving. Brought to mind a Mexican stand-off, or maybe showdown at the OK corral. Go check on them half an hour later, still staring, neither one of them having seem to budge an inch. I'm thinking, "Sonny, you are so not getting laid." I think Sonny might be confused that this hen has feathers instead of, well, fur, and moves around instead of...well, not.
So about an hour after grain time, my mom shows up at the barn saying Sonny took off after her when she went to the coop(apparently, my neurotic little pest developed a protective streak a mile wide for a non-descript brown hen missing half of her feathers). So me an mom are watching him, and suddenly! Guess what! Sonny suddenly remember what real hens are for!
YES! All this long-ass post just to say(in a singsong voice):
SONNY BOY GOT LAID! SONNY BOY GOT LAID! SONNY BOY GOT LAID!
I'm so proud of my boy