Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Not the Crazy Cat Lady

I am the Crazy Bunny Lady in this town, so when a deceased bunny appeared in my neighbor's yard, I got a call.

No foul play suspected; just another rabbit gone dead and so, I collected the little guy's body, already full of fly spawn, and took it away. I originally thought to burn it, along with bits of cardboard, but then decided to let it rest out back, near the barn. Maybe the chickens could eat the maggots for the protein.

I am sorry to see this little guy dead. But I know that flies and worms and carrion bugs have to eat, too. At least the Killer Kitty is gone, and there are several babies still in the yard - Smoky's legacy.

I have two roosters, and eight hens, along with Omelet whom I think is a hen, and two little chicks. I thought that the roosters would divide the hens amongst themselves, but no! Fried Chicken has asserted himself as King of Them All, and Roostifer has none. F.C. can't keep watch on all of his girls, all of the time, and so Roostifer takes his opportunity to court any and all stray hens.

Sometimes his behavior goes unnoticed, but sometimes not, and so I get the spectacle of one rooster methodically chasing another round and round my house, for minutes at a time. Roostifer is a bloody mess, and not in the English meaning.

My hope is that once Omelet comes of age, that she will be his mate. We shall see.

I looked out into the back yard last night, to check on the chickens. Since last year, they all roost in this aspen/poplar tree that grows maybe twenty feet from my bed. Last night, I saw all of them there save for Henny Penny and her two babes, who nest under the Palatial Summer Bunny Hutch, and Omelet, who was seen in the smaller aspen/poplar tree a short distance away. All by herself.

Roostifer has been run off, and now beds down on the front porch. Alone.

I am almost moved to write a children's story about Omelet, called "A Flock of One," and somehow, she and Roostifer get united and form a new flock and raise a family. That's the idea, free for the taking!

I'm too busy right now, sewing kites and stuff.

1 comment:

Knitting Linguist said...

I love the idea of your chicken story! Alas that I am not a writer of that sort... I hope the kite sewing is going well; will there be pictures at some point?