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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Speckles Is Sick

 

Speckles has a cold and congestion. When one of my babies gets sick they go into a sick cage and get to come inside to be medicated and watched closely.

If you remember, he is the one that I said was tame and I had never handled him before,but I did raise him from an egg. He was in the pen with all my fancy special birds I raised this past Spring. He is way to big to breed, which is really too bad, he is such a beautiful bird.

I got him in night before last. Medicated his water and gave him a dropper of VetRX in his nose and some down his throat I got him settled inside, where it is nice and warm.

I can't explain it, this little rooster is different. There is something about him, in his eyes, his behavior, his mannerisms.

He has not been conditioned to come to love the companionship of humans like Phoenix, Bonnie and Clyde. Yet he has taken right to me.

Last night after we got back from grocery shopping I took Speckles out, like I had several times that day to give him some attention and hugs and talk to him. I took him into the living room and we sat down in the rocking chair. He was cradled in the crook of my arm as we rocked and he was very content. He would look up at me, tilt his head, eyeing me intently. He would give little quiet bock bock noises in his throat every now and then, talking back to me quietly. I asked him if he would like to get down on the floor and walk around. Of course he didnt answer me, I am not that crazy! ;)

I put him down on the floor in front of me. He turned around looked up at me and immediately I saw this was not what he wanted at all. Before I could reach down to get him he flew straight up and onto my head! OWCHIE! His nails were kinda sharp on my tender head! (I file and trim the house chickens toenails) I took him off my head and cradled him again, and once again he settled in and fell asleep after awhile.

He reminds me of how Phoenix was when I first got him. Phoenix didnt want to go a moment without me holding him or him being right there wherever I was. Since then he has learned that I just can't hold him all day and accepts his fate of being in an enclosure be it in the house or on the porch the better part of the day. He takes his hugs and love when I can give them and accepts that, most of the time.

I wish I could explain to you...how odd this little rooster is. All chickens, that I have ever had, naturally have had a fear of being picked up and held. They will get over that fear with handling, sometimes really quickly. It only takes me about three days and they are loving all the attention, usually. Speckles has been craving this attention from the get go. Its like he never had any fear to tame. That is strange to me.

Will Speckles become another house chicken? I dont know, he is definitely hard to resist. He has a certain charm about him that is different from the rest.

Either way, until he is well, he is in for a lot of love and attention.

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P1070019

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear Speckles is sick. I'm listening to momma hens words here and I get a feeling Speckles is going to be the newest member of the house...(winks) (Hugs) Indigo

Anonymous said...

Aww lol that is to adorable!

Anonymous said...

I hope Speckles will be OK ~ he is such a lovely bird ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

I'm betting on Speckles to be a house chicken. Paula

Anonymous said...

awww that is so sweet!  I love your chicken stories they make me smile and giggle!  Glad to know speckles didn't answer you back...I didn't really peg you for crazy...at least not yet.

Robin

Anonymous said...

oh yeah, he is charming his way right in to that house!  hope he gets well soon.
tina

Anonymous said...

I hope that Speckles gets well soon.  I wonder why you named him Speckles???  Hmmmm    He's absolutely beautiful.

Hollie

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