For many years, son Bob showed chickens. When he moved on to his own life a few years ago, though, he pretty much left all the chicken stuff behind. He has taken care of the birds when I'm gone. He helps me catch some of the wilder ones that are in big pens. But that's about it.
This spring when I first started hatching chicks, you may recall that I had a single chick hatch and had to go to the feed store to buy it a buddy. Single chicks do not do well. I bought two chicks, actually. One was a small Old English game bantam. The other was in the same brooder with the OEGB but was clearly not that breed. It was a large fowl buff Cochin.
It was a very good babysitter.
The two pullets snuggled up under its big butt and were quite happy. Then he got to be about 4 times bigger than they were, and they mostly stayed on a high perch to keep from getting stepped on. I finally had to separate them, which made the Cochin sad.
About that time, whenever Bob and Anna came out on the weekend, one of them would go get the Cochin and sit with him for a while. Today when Anna caught him, she told me they'd named him. His name is Kevin.
This is what Kevin should look like when he's full grown. (Photo from Cackle Hatchery)
He has a few months of growing to do before he's that big. This is Kevin today.
Yes, that chicken is on my couch. In the living room. Stranger things have happened in this house. Wesley was trying to "touch" him. Wesley uses his paws a lot. Kevin wasn't too thrilled about that.
He really likes Bob, though. And he's also very fond of Anna.
When she scratches his head, he falls asleep.
I have no use for a large fowl Cochin. But it looks like I'm stuck with him. Luckily he's really easy to have around, he just takes up a lot of space. In a couple of months I might take him along to a show for Bob and Anna. I can't believe I'm doing this, he'll never fit in my bantam carriers. I guess he'll just have to ride in the passenger seat up front.
2 comments:
He is DARLING! And I think he does need to come along to the shows. He would ride well up front and help you drive...then he would show off wonderfully at all the shows.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
We had about 20 chickens for eggs and the occasional meal when I was a boy in Texas (many long years ago). As I recall, they were a mixed flock of White Leghorn, Dominique, Rhode Island Red, and Buff Orphington. The chicken coop and henhouse were always filthy with their droppings and required constant raking. How did you housebreak Kevin?
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