It's easy to fall in love with a chicken (Slide show)
Chickens are not just for eating; they make great pets, too. Once you’ve had the chance to get to know a chicken that is not sandwiched between two pieces of bread, you may fall in love with their obvious charm, and stop eating them all together. They are very social and loyal birds, with a strong sense of family.
The inventors of the phrase “pecking order,” these birds know how to keep the family in line. One hen will usually rein supreme. She will make sure everyone is in the coop at night, and squawk up a storm if a cat shows up in the yard.
Chickens are not just for eating; they make great pets, too. Once you’ve had the chance to get to know a chicken that is not sandwiched between two pieces of bread, you may fall in love with their obvious charm, and stop eating them all together. They are very social and loyal birds, with a strong sense of family. The inventors of the phrase “pecking order,” these birds know how to keep the family in line. One hen will usually rein supreme. She will make sure everyone is in the coop at night, and squawk up a storm if a cat shows up in the yard.
Aside from their strong take-care-of-their-own attitude, they are loyal and obedient to their rooster, particularly if they are raised together. So loyal, we have seen our own hens literally lay over the body of their dead “Roo”, then pluck themselves to death in grief. Hens that survive the loss of their Roo, can mope around for weeks, stop eating and stop laying eggs.
How can you fault an animal with that much devotion?
Breeders are now producing so many varieties and colors; you may be able to get one to match your wardrobe. And aside from being the only pet in your household that produces food, as opposed to just consuming it, chickens are extremely amusing to watch.
We have two girls that walk up to the front door and give us a lot of cluck buck buck until someone hands them a piece of bread. They also like blueberries, cat food and occasionally, Fruit Loops. Our mother hen, RC, jumps in my car if the door is opened and has been photographed (see above) jumping into our farrier’s truck. She also tried to go home in our veterinarian’s front seat last week. I guess she likes trucks.Although quite a few chicken owners do bring their poultry into the house, (myself included), if you live in an apartment, owning chickens might be tough.
Florida is a great place to keep chickens. Most like the heat and abundance of sand to dig through in their perpetual search for yummy bugs. In my efforts to spoil mine, they get 3 heat lamps in the coop any night the temperature dips below 40 degrees. What a life. But they’re my girls. It really is easy to fall in love with a chicken.
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Someone threw a kitten over my fence
When you live on a farm and everyone in the neighborhood knows that you rescue animals, every once in a while you get a present from one of your neighbors. Yesterday, our present was a kitten.
We didn’t get a good look at the two kids who drove past our gate on an ATV, but we’re pretty sure we know who they are. There is only one family around here that regularly zooms up and down the road on an ATV. The problem is, we don’t know where they live.
Since half the roads around here are little more than ruts in the sand, they could have come from almost anywhere.
The kitten is very young; probably about 4 weeks old, and he survived the delivery just fine. But we think he may have been traumatized by something or someone, pretty early on. The ride on the noisy ATV might have done it, but it could have been anything.
Part of doing rescue involves knowing that you can’t keep every animal that comes to you, even if you want to. It’s also about rehabilitation and placement, so you have room to rescue another.
Despite what he’s been through, he still purrs when we pick him up, so we know he just needs to be loved.
This story does have a happy ending. The kitten that was thrown over my fence has gotten a good home and hasn't been near a fence since.
Originally posted on Examiner.com
For animal lovers only: Saying goodbye to a pet
Perhaps the hardest thing about losing an animal you love is having to endure those first moments of turmoil, around people who do not share your pain.Whether it is a dog who followed you around for years with your sock in his mouth, or a cat who crawled up on your lap just so she could convince you that scratching her head was the most important thing in the world, when they’re suddenly gone, it’s hard not to shed a tear.
People who love animals are a separate breed. They’re not afraid to talk to their pet in a silly voice, no matter who is standing next to them. It’s as if they enter another world that only they and their pet truly understand. There is nothing more personal than sharing your life with a pet.
As with all things in life, there comes an end. Sometimes the loss is unexpected; sometimes you wake up to an empty space that you somehow knew was on it’s way. As with all destinations, how you get there is not as important as what you do when you arrive.
Nothing can or should erase the memory of an animal you woke up with every day and spent countless hours sharing your deepest thoughts with. Pets are after all the best listeners, when you have something to say that few humans would understand.
It’s not easy to say goodbye, but there really isn’t a choice. All we can do is hope that passing time will make it easier for us to feel lucky that we ever knew a special animal, who somehow made us a better human.
In memory of "RC" - April 20, 2007 - June 9, 2010
Originally posted on http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-tampa-bay/for-animal-lovers-only-saying-goodbye-to-a-pet
