Speckles's story

Mountain Peeps

Jesus is my life
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10 Years
Apr 23, 2014
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I wanted to share one of my stories about my chickens.

This is about Speckles, a silver sebright.

In 2012 I bought Speckles along with three other chicks. When she came to us she had a horrible case of pasty butt due to being cold. It took more than a week in which my family was sure she was a goner. But by washing it each hour and putting up with being pooped on, Speckles recovered. She and I had become very close over that time as I carried her with me a lot.

Once she moved outside with the others she was at the bottom of the pecking order. She had to put up with a lot! She was a real stud! She, like the others, always looked froward to my visits. She would always jump on my lap and talk. (It was like she was telling me all about her day! LOL) Her first winter was a hard one. She lived inside for a bit of it as she was not used to how cold it was. The other girls hogged the heat lamp so she couldn't get very warm. So she was inside a lot.

She loved being with the other girls even though they pecked on her. Everyone who saw her all asked the same question; "What breed is that? It's the most beautiful breed I've ever seen!" I went downtown once and heard someone tell her friends," I just saw a beautiful chicken at a lodge!" (We own a lodge.) Speckles was popular!



In 2013 I went on a trip. When I returned the first thing Speckles did was attack me. She was griping my finger and trying to spur me. That next morning I heard her crowing! Every day, she attacked whoever entered the coop and she crowed each day. The only explanation I could think of was she was tired of confinement. (They are very wild breed who needs ranging.) After two months of heartbreaking actions, we took her to our friends' home. She free ranges there and even has a buddy all to herself. Earlier this year, I went to see her for the first time. I cried with what happened: I squatted down, called her and she ran over and jumped in my lap. I was for certain she had forgotten me as chickens have a bad memory. But Speckles blew me away! She remembered her "mom"! I guess all that bonding paid off!
 
What a cute story. I think chickens have better memories than we think. I went out to see a cockerel I gave my grandkids because I can't have them in the city. I used to talk to him and his hatch mates and they would come running. It was always so cute. Anyway when I went out to see the kids chicks and my cockerel, his name is Highstepper, and I saw him out in their pen and said " Oh Hi baby in a baby talking voice or sweet voice anyway and he stopped and looked at me. My daughter said Oh look mom, he remembers you and it did seem so. Made me feel good.
 
It does not surprise me that Speckles remembered you. I'm a little more surprised that she crowed actually. Although I have seen a video of a Seabright hen who crowed, and the owners said she laid eggs. Do you know if Speckles has laid eggs?
 
It does not surprise me that Speckles remembered you.  I'm a little more surprised that she crowed actually.  Although I have seen a video of a Seabright hen who crowed, and the owners said she laid eggs.  Do you know if Speckles has laid eggs?

Do you mean for me or for her new owners? She laid tons for me and lays for her new owners too.:)
 
I guess crowing hens are not as uncommon as I once thought. I had an older hen crow for a period of time, but she decided to stop. Do you know if Speckles still likes to crow?

Here is the video of the crowing hens that I mentioned:

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I guess crowing hens are not as uncommon as I once thought. I had an older hen crow for a period of time, but she decided to stop. Do you know if Speckles still likes to crow? Here is the video of the crowing hens that I mentioned:
Nope she doesn't crow anymore. It's because she needed to have more room and now she can free range.
 
Crowing is more common with the sebright breed I believe. I have several hens that crow. They lay eggs and have babies just like the others. They usually crow in response to a social or environmental stimulus I noticed.

As far as them recognizing a person, that does not surprise me, since studies have shown an individual hen can recognize up to 96 other individual chickens. I would imagine that could be transferred to people as well, at least to some extent.
 

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