A Few Chicken (and possibly other bird) Stories, anyone?

GottaHaveChickens

In the Brooder
Jan 25, 2022
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52
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Having just joined, I have been enjoying checking out BYC. Since I've been around chickens since I was seven, and they were, and are, a big part of my life, I have some stories and thought that they might be enjoyed, too!

A little background so you all have some context...
I grew up completely "off grid" at a high altitude location in Colorado. We raised 150-200 hatchery run cockerels to pressure can for our meat every year, and had 40-50 laying hens who we sold eggs from.
Since I married, we have had 5-30 chickens. Now my daughter is doing chickens in her first year of 4H!

Oh, and we are a busy homeschool family... there will be gaps between posts!
 
A Hen Named Kookah
One year, one of our Barred Rock hens took it upon herself to set. She was quite sure it was her mission in life, and was very dedicated. Problem was, she could never remember which nest was hers, and would continue setting on any old nest after her daily outing. Well, cold eggs just won't do, so I would have to check every morning and place her back in her nest. Every. Single. Day. Through her whole setting time. Finally, her chicks hatched. Well, she was just as clueless about mothering chicks as she was about finding her nest. She wasn't mean, just too clumsy and big-footed, and we had to take her chicks and raise them ourselves so she wouldn't crush anymore.
Well, that goof, she decided that it was still her mission to set! And, again, she could never remember which nest was hers. So, again, I had to pick her up and place her on her own nest Every. Single. Day. through her second setting!! We were really getting to know each other by this time, and I started affectionately calling her Kookah, as she was being a bit of a "kook". She hatched again, and still hadn't a clue how to be a momma, so we raised the chicks again. Finally, Kookah decided that she was done setting. She also decided that I was her friend. She would come up and sing to me and we would carry on convos. Somehow, Kookah had a sixth sense when we were working in the garden, and she would appear at the fence as soon as a shovel was in hand. Then she would sing for worms! I enjoyed her greatly.
 

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