I'm remodeling several coops and brooders as the weather cools and the rain allows. This re-creates for my livestock a time honored and beloved, if dangerous game. Barnyard Roulette. Or as I like to call it - At which time... As in at which time... the chicken/turkey/goat or dog gets it.
I will blithely be minding my task, which is at the moment, cutting wire when the NOW very LARGE lap turkeys discover my work. They of course must help with each nip of the wirecutters, great silly pink feet fumbling into the wire already down... One decides that the dog hair on my shirt need immediate and thorough removal. PECK PECK PECK And the Tom, Brit - at my hands and the wire and wire cutters... grrrr thank you.
I try for patience, after all they think they're helping or at least being... well friendly. Then come the Delawares, they're not fooling anyone they're looking for FOOD or at least something to amuse themselves. I'm holding my own, and holding my tongue when the Delaware who has flown to the upper well house shelf - finds a tray of unused screws. And things start being flung onto the floor and on and off, the top of my skull. PING...
Wait! I need those screws where I can find them - dang it bird!!! And I bounce up ready to play my part of the game -- and the chicken gets it, when the Delaware takes one look at the frown on my face and begins to cluck happily and the little Roulette ball bounces to black and the chicken lives another day.
There are days the little ball bounces to red, but it's fairly rare. Whether it's goat help with construction, or bird help with coops some days that wheel spins for one and all and only the wheel knows if "at which time the Chicken gets it."
I will blithely be minding my task, which is at the moment, cutting wire when the NOW very LARGE lap turkeys discover my work. They of course must help with each nip of the wirecutters, great silly pink feet fumbling into the wire already down... One decides that the dog hair on my shirt need immediate and thorough removal. PECK PECK PECK And the Tom, Brit - at my hands and the wire and wire cutters... grrrr thank you.
I try for patience, after all they think they're helping or at least being... well friendly. Then come the Delawares, they're not fooling anyone they're looking for FOOD or at least something to amuse themselves. I'm holding my own, and holding my tongue when the Delaware who has flown to the upper well house shelf - finds a tray of unused screws. And things start being flung onto the floor and on and off, the top of my skull. PING...
Wait! I need those screws where I can find them - dang it bird!!! And I bounce up ready to play my part of the game -- and the chicken gets it, when the Delaware takes one look at the frown on my face and begins to cluck happily and the little Roulette ball bounces to black and the chicken lives another day.
There are days the little ball bounces to red, but it's fairly rare. Whether it's goat help with construction, or bird help with coops some days that wheel spins for one and all and only the wheel knows if "at which time the Chicken gets it."
