Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Cosette My French Hen

"I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMille"
As with all flocks or groups of animals, there is an order.  Pecking order to be exact.  The leader of my flock is "Cosette," a Dominique French hen.  She is the first out, last in at night.  When I bring my set chair (collapsible, I toted around in the movie biz) into the coop she immediately hops on.  When I sit in the chair, she hops on my lap.  Anything new in their pen, she is on it first.
She really likes this chair!
Cosette talking to the "Tenacious 4"

Last Monday I brought the 4 Australorp chicks and their nursery into the pen.  I left the door closed for a day.  Then opened it up and put the ramp to it.  Immediately Cosette hopped up the ramp, went inside and spoke chicken to the tenacious 4.  They cocked their heads and listened to whatever she was saying.  Then she went up and down the ramp several times to show them how to do it.  Yesterday none of them wanted to venture out of their nursery.  But this morning, I opened the door and in seconds Cosette was up and down the ramp instructing them.  One followed as she watched like a mother at the bottom of a slide. 
Posing, a black Langshan hen
Talullah with her head between my knees...asking to come up on my lap.

We had our/their first rain yesterday.  It really drenched everything for the first time in 7 months.  They were under their porch watching the drops fall.  Wondering what the heck was going on.  When it stopped, they all were digging and scratching and rolling in the dirt.  On my final check for the night, all were in the sleeping coop, and Cosette was in a deep hole (chicken bath tub) rolling around all by herself.  Like a mother of young toddlers in bed for the night taking a bubble bath.  So funny.  I will try to remember to take my camera out at night to get a picture. 
Talullah keeps an eye on me :-)

Thanks for reading,
Each day is a gift. Open now.
xo,
Suz

5 comments:

  1. What a wonderful read, Suz. I had no idea chickens were affectionate!
    Caroline

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  2. Great Cosette! :D She is a boss, yep ;)

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  3. Awww, haven't seen your chickies in awhile... :) So cute and grown up! <3 Talullah is still awesomely adorable! <3
    All of our chicks are outside now- they've joined the flock!! Half of them are roosters we have to sell... but we have a pretty good flock now :) Plus- they're all different kinds so it's so fun to see them all running around together!!! They silkies are mega-adorable!!!! My favorite is Polly D (used to be Pauly… until we found out he was a she ;). She sits on my lap while I do school, and will let me carry her anywhere!! Silkies are awesome! :) Also- I remember you saying that one of your yellow silkies has/had a head tick?? One of ours (Davey Jones… this one is a girl too though ;) has one too! Do you think it’s just the breed??

    Whenever I go in the yard to see them (50 times a day??) they all swarm around me- jumping on my back and lap and pecking my earrings xD Haha- it's adorable!! As long as I don't have my white clothes on... ;)
    And some (most) people don’t believe me- but chickens get jealous!! Haha, if you’re petting one- then another always wants the attention ;)

    xoxo
    Jordan

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  4. Jordan, If I could go out 50 times a day, I would too! Talullah, Cosette, and little Missy always hop on my lap for love. You are right, they do get jealous.
    I just put our 2 silkie roosters up on Craig's list. Their crows are funny. They need more practice. :-)
    xo

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