Have you ever really looked at a chicken? They look like they're in a bad mood most of the time! Not like dogs, who almost seem to smile at you. This little guy, and I do mean little (he fits nicely in the palm of your hand) has got some spunk! More than his sister, who wasn't interested in getting in the camera shot. If you pull his sister out and not him, he'll pace in front of the cage door and tweet at you until you pick him up. Then he'll proceed to thank you by pecking your hand. Not that it hurts, but still. Once you have him though, his demeanor changes and he really is quite sweet. This particular breed of chicken is a Bantam. They're marvelous little birds who absolutely love attention, which makes them marvelous for showmanship! Cam is in the poultry project with our local 4H club. Last year, when we went to fair, we took one of our Australorp pullets for him to show. She was absolutely terrified of the small cage and the roosters crowing, that she spent most of the fair having a small panic attack and was unable to perform during showmanship. Because of this, Cameron borrowed a bantam from a friend and he was able to show her. Due to a bantams natural ease in the show ring, a friend of ours (our poultry leader), who loves Bantams, went ahead and bread a clutch. We were lucky to get two. Turns out we ended up with a female (who's camera shy) and this cockreal, who...well...has spunk! So every day, we get the "babies" out of their cage and handle them. In the next few weeks, we'll start working with Cam and the birds in showmanship skills. Unfortunately, after fair, we'll most likely have to re-home Mr.Spunk because we can't run the risk of him making babies with his sister.
-The Humble Homesteader
No comments:
Post a Comment