I mean to say. There are sheep. There are goats. There are cows. There are burros. Where are the chickens?
When Buck first came here trussed up so tightly he could barely breathe, and stuffed into a red bag he had reason to be pissed. He's been here now for about 6 months and still finds reason to take issue with things like my choice of shoes, handbags or the speed I'm moving. He has taught me that sometimes standing still is a good idea. I think there's some progress though, and I'm glad to think there is, but it's never productive to expect it to be a regular thing.
Yesterday I got down on the ground at chicken level. It's not a brave as it sounds. I was on one side of a sliding glass door and he was on the other, sometimes when that is going on, he pecks at the window. This time he just stood there on one foot and carefully looked me over. Most of the girls were there, and they stared at me evenly as well, with no wild eye dilation and contraction. I'm not sure why they do that, but I have come to recognize it as a sign of alarm.
I have had people tell me chickens are stupid.
They aren't.
I have had people tell me that kicking them when they attack is ok, and it doesn't hurt them.
I'm not going to try that one out.
What I have found is that chickens are very sensitive, aware and have a memory of who has been a problem for them, and who gives them grapes.
Still, Buck is not beyond bullying someone closer to his size like my granddaughter, who has done nothing but be an easy target.
Sometimes it looks as though he's playing a game with us, but we have to learn the rules as we are going along, and every now and then, he adds something new. It's a testament to the good view that chickens have of themselves that they will challenge someone many times their size. There is a real power differential here, and if chickens had ancestral memory in addition to a personal one, they would organize a revolt against the human oppressors. The trouble is that anyone who is not human and stands up to a human faces extinction. It's a brave chicken or one that is confident of safety, or doesn't give a rat's ass either way that will continue to be a nuisance. I'm still entertained by the UPS man, 6'4", afraid of Buck. It just gives him the idea that he is The Big Chicken.
Surely, there would have been chickens coming to see the Messiah.
They are curious about everything else.
When Buck first came here trussed up so tightly he could barely breathe, and stuffed into a red bag he had reason to be pissed. He's been here now for about 6 months and still finds reason to take issue with things like my choice of shoes, handbags or the speed I'm moving. He has taught me that sometimes standing still is a good idea. I think there's some progress though, and I'm glad to think there is, but it's never productive to expect it to be a regular thing.
Yesterday I got down on the ground at chicken level. It's not a brave as it sounds. I was on one side of a sliding glass door and he was on the other, sometimes when that is going on, he pecks at the window. This time he just stood there on one foot and carefully looked me over. Most of the girls were there, and they stared at me evenly as well, with no wild eye dilation and contraction. I'm not sure why they do that, but I have come to recognize it as a sign of alarm.
I have had people tell me chickens are stupid.
They aren't.
I have had people tell me that kicking them when they attack is ok, and it doesn't hurt them.
I'm not going to try that one out.
What I have found is that chickens are very sensitive, aware and have a memory of who has been a problem for them, and who gives them grapes.
Still, Buck is not beyond bullying someone closer to his size like my granddaughter, who has done nothing but be an easy target.
Sometimes it looks as though he's playing a game with us, but we have to learn the rules as we are going along, and every now and then, he adds something new. It's a testament to the good view that chickens have of themselves that they will challenge someone many times their size. There is a real power differential here, and if chickens had ancestral memory in addition to a personal one, they would organize a revolt against the human oppressors. The trouble is that anyone who is not human and stands up to a human faces extinction. It's a brave chicken or one that is confident of safety, or doesn't give a rat's ass either way that will continue to be a nuisance. I'm still entertained by the UPS man, 6'4", afraid of Buck. It just gives him the idea that he is The Big Chicken.
Surely, there would have been chickens coming to see the Messiah.
They are curious about everything else.
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Glad to hear from you, but criticisms will be ignored. It's the beauty of the web. I will answer all friendly remarks. Buck handles the rest.