June 11: Lap Chickens

I go into chicken coop with the new baby chickens once a day to check on them, give them water, food, and treats, and hang out with them to further solidify our relationship. Back when the babies were in the house, I had basically trained Saltina and Munchkin to sit on my lap any time I opened their cage and sat cross legged in front of it . Now, in the coop, I have trained them to sit on my lap whenever I sit in the chair that I put in the coop. They don't stay in my lap for long, as they often prefer to sit on my shoulder, but they are almost always on me when I am in there -- which is delightful. (Fun fact: when I first googled their breed when we got them, the Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, it said: "They are very unlikely to become lap chickens. Whilst they will tolerate being picked up and cuddled they prefer not to have that close a contact with you." Apparently, I can work magic!)

Yesterday when I visited, I sat down in the chair, and Saltina and Munch ended up on my shoulder for quite awhile. I pet them and cooed at them and paid them lots of attention, which apparently got Pepper jealous, or maybe just curious, because she ended up jumping up in my lap and sitting with me, allowing me to pet her. She is of course my original favorite chicken, and Saltina is my new favorite, so it was super exciting and delightful to have both of them on me and letting me pet them at the same time. I love these chickens so much, and I very much enjoy spending time with them, watching them move and interact, even just watching them fall asleep for nap time. 

PS: I noticed Tokena was a little off her game, not coming to me for treats (I thought maybe she was laying an egg or busy in the coop) but apparently she was not doing well because this morning we found her dead :( She and I had recently started bonding, and I am going to miss her deep sounding bawks, her curiosity, her playfulness (especially with the worm filled toy we gave her), and her forcefulness in getting treats. She was a good chicken, and I'm sad to see her gone, but I will delight in memories of her. RIP my dear Tokena. 

With delight (tinged with sadness),

♥Jamie