Chicken Fetish

Recently after a barrage of chicken posts about the “girls”, it was suggested I had a “Chicken Fetish”. It went so far as to have recommended to me that I sell Chicken T-Shirts…. They’d say…

OK, all the good-natured ribbing aside; It did cause me to think about this chicken love I have. Even my husband stated that, If I could, I’d bring the girls inside the house! Yes, I protested that comment, but hell, I realized that the man is likely right. Pooh, I hate it when that happens.

Yesterday, I took a break from fixing the chicken fencing to have a sit down spell. Lucy was instantly at my feet making honking noise like a little goose, with her head between my knees. Her face was emphatic. She wants up in my lap. If I don’t grab her and put her there she’s going to make all sorts of contortions climbing up my leg, and I’d  prefer not to have those climbing marks left behind.

Bending over to get the ten pound Buff Orpington we call “Lucy”, I was stared down by a four pound Blue Ameraucana, Victoria, who was also putting her demand in for butt time, (Sitting down with Mommy). The girls have a defined pecking order, I give them all separate times so they don’t argue over the sanctity of the lap, or argue later on.

Lucy is settled down and hunkered down on my thigh, viewing from her majestic post the underlings of the chicken yard. She is queen and she knows it. “I love Lucy”. The TV show could have been done with a chicken instead of the pretty Red-Headed lady. I wonder how interesting that would have been for non-chicken-love’n people?  Likely, not very, but I am still sitting there, petting Lucy’s nape, scratching her little noggen, thinking about doing a TV show like that, when I look down and view the three faces of love beaming up from the ground, all waiting in line to get some time with Mommy.

The Other faces beaming at me are, Victoria, Elizabeth, Freckles. They love me…  Victoria, likes to be held like a baby, nuzzled and cuddled and kissed. Elizabeth likes the same thing. Her face says, “Just nuzzle me and hug me. I’m good”.  Freckles fidgets and gets nervous until she finds a place for her feet, then she’s noisy and make funny cooing noise, and wants her chin scratched and face kissed. With Lucy, it’s no holds barred.She’s up for most stuff. Ruffle her feathers, scratch her back, kiss her face, nuzzle her neck, rub her comb… She’ll endure anything, as long as she can sit with you.

It’s then I realize how blessed I am to have the adoration of four lovely little hens, who are spoiled rotten. Do I care? No… Of course, I’ve been accused of fostering dependent behavior in my chickens, but honestly, they are just giving back what I offer them, Lots of Love and caring.

I don’t see myself as a “chicken owner”. I think I see myself more as hanging out with my friends and caring for them. They are treated no less than a pet dog or cat of other animal with fur, you’d pet or cuddle. They do respond, and actually, I find them quite smart. The term, “Dumb Cluck” was evidently coined by a non-chicken-love’n person.

So, do I have a “Chicken Fetish”? Yes, Yes I do….