Life is good in the country... my hens!

by ©Peggy Gabrielson

I have had a rooster who was named Henrietta that became a Henry.

We found  him a new home not too long ago.  Well unknown to us he really terrorized the hens and it was too late for one who I named Lucy after Lucille Ball, she made so much noise and was red, and I thought of  the “I love Lucy Show”.  I gave Lucy more attention from day one by petting her, while the other hens always ran away when I reached out, and speaking to her "pluck, pluck, pluck"… she would in turn pluck back.  I did this so much that she became used to it.  

6 months old

As she got older and in their new hen house she would follow me as I would clean and feed them.  She would even sit on my foot and I would carefully drag her around on my foot, not wanting to disturb her perch… she was a good loving hen and I loved my poor terrorized hen!  I thought after we gave Henry away “oh, she would always be “retarded” , her head and neck moved forward and backward, she didn't like the other hens getting near her, she thought she would get attacked… always in the defensive mode which made the other hens peck her even more.  

My ritual everyday would be plucking at my chickens and they would all pluck back, Lucy being the loudest… one day as I was cleaning the hen house all the hens as usual had to come in and get in the way, but this time more so then usual and I reached out to pet them and they stayed put… they stopped in their tracks instead of running away and then got down and spread their wings, acting like they were afraid but stayed put.   

I  thought wow they love me too! I couldn't wait to tell my husband Dave when I went inside, I proclaimed with much excitement “Dave, my chickens aren't afraid of me anymore, they are letting me pet them!”, I squealed from pride, cause I do take good care of my chickens…He smiled and was happy for me, he saw how important this was to me.  

Then one day he was walking our dog and I was in the hen house I called out to him and said “Dave come and look at your hens and see how they love me!”  He proceeded to walk over, looked at them, looked at me, looked away, and couldn't hold in his laughter and said with great difficulty… he couldn't speak he was laughing and didn’t want me to see his face… he is sensitive to my feelings… and said “Honey, they think you are their rooster that is why they bend down like that”.  He continued to say “keep petting them it will help stimulate their egg laying.”  

I yelled out in disgust and disappointment “no way I am not their rooster”!… I remember awhile ago when I told my mama in a joking way my hens think I am their rooster … she would look down and chuckle to herself… she knew…