We have had some good (imho) names over the years. There were Q-tip, the polish hen, Rasta, the polish roo, and pinecone, our psychotic frizzle roo. But, somehow, male or female, my #1 favorite at any given time ends up being simply "Bird." Our present "Bird" is a splash Orpington, who was given to me at about two weeks of age. She has suffered a slipped tendon nearly a week before. Not surprisinhly, I could not fix it. But, she clearly wanted to live, and I did not insist otherwise. She is two now, and still adamantly among us. We travel together. Here is a recent post that I put up on my social media page. Some may find it amusing. I do... now. Cheers!
"I want to know what you would do.
I'm on a bus. it's an Amtrak bus, crossing the San Francisco Bay. The bus is packed, nevertheless, I was able to procure perhaps the last vacant set of twins seats. Until this point, my crippled, contraband (situationally) chicken has been in a large carry on bag. Feeling profoundly guilty because she has endured so far, 6 hours on a train, having been banged around in the station, then shuffled onto a loaded bus, and then confined in the back where it is just a little too warm. I recklessly took her out of the bag.
Almost immediately, my beloved little Orpington let out the most greazy, succulent, human sounding fart that I believe I have ever heard from any creature, human or otherwise. Immediately following this, she emitted an acid green Cascade of effluence, which bespattered the edge of the seat, the wall of the bus, and thence down into the ventilation system, which as I have already suggested, is pumping out very warm air.
Warm air is no longer the only thing being pumped out. People, having heard the introductory noise, and not realizing that I have a contraband chicken, are looking at me. They're looking at me with something beyond disgust. And I don't blame them.
I have a package of wet wipes, but I fear that it will be insufficient to stem the miasma that is quickly filling what moments ago was a pretty brand new bus. So, I ask again, what would you do?"
