More Chicken Pictures

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OK, so it is another picture of a Turken. Isn't it amazing how something so ugly can be so photogenic? This is Flippy in the late stages of adolescence. As the Turkens get older their wigs grow longer and their wattle too of course. "Wigs and Wattles..." it sounds like a good name for a musical group or two opposing political parties.

In this picture Flippy has that Noble Hero thing going on. Can you imagine her wearing one of those funny hats Napoleon always had on? Now that would be some chicken out to conquer the world! ...Except for the fact that Flippy is a hen and all most hens want to do is scratch, lay eggs and take dust baths--occasionally they go all broody and that is an entertainment of another sort. Of course if Flippy were a rooster it would be a different story completely. All roosters have a secret plan to conquer the world. The only problem is that all roosters are psychotic and over-sexed. A rooster will come after you and try to attack you just because you are in their line of sight and are not a rock or a tree. Some kind of a world we would have if it were run by roosters, eh? Always starting wars over imagined threats... Bothering the Hens just because they are facing a certain way... and then making a bothersome, hellacious noise at all hours of the day without really communicating anything except that they are filling up space. Hmm, now that you mention it that sounds like an awful lot of politicians. OK, now I'm getting scared.

This picture can be found on products at the Planet Chicken Shop

Now this is a Turken Rooster that was named Gyro. Like all roosters, he had a screw loose. At this point he thought he was top rooster of the chicken yard. He would buzz about the yard, harassing the hens and challenging the other rooster or anything else that moved. Just as I was saying earlier. As he and the other rooster got older it became quite apparent that he was actually the number-two rooster. This only gave him excuse to act more psychotic. He used guerilla tactics to spread his DNA, slinking around by the edge of the woods and pouncing upon one of the hens when the other rooster was busy elsewhere. As time progressed Gyro became more and more unhinged. I wanted to take him down the road a few miles and set him free in the woods to play with the foxes, but this wasn't allowed at the time. If you happened within 15 feet of him he would start his attack procedures and nothing would dissuade him. After attacking and injuring that someone who was so protective of him, he was taken down the road to play with the foxes one evening. It was quite fortunate that it was not a child that was attacked. Roosters can be quite aggressive, particularly when you provoke them by being near them, alive and not a hen. They jump up in the air lifting their feet so that their spurs are forward and high. A large rooster could easily put out a child's eye or if they miss, jab a spur into the child's face causing both physical and mental trauma. This would not make for a fun afternoon. If you keep roosters, keep them away from children! Got it?

It's not all about Turkens. This is a Rhode Island Red hen. Rhodies are a nice breed. Calm, business like; a flock of 8 or 10 of them can look quite pretty scratching about the yard. They are good layers, pulling their quota of laying an egg per day for their first year of laying. Like I said... strictly business. "I'm a hen, leave me alone and let me hunt bugs. What;s that? Oh you have food?" is their motto. They lay brown eggs and one Rhode island red looks pretty much like the next which makes it difficult to tell stories about how Hen Rhodie-X did this or that. If you are intent on telling stories to your grandchildren about how your chicken went on a vacation trip to Las Vegas and came back married to a used car salesman it might not be in your best interest to have a flock of Rhodies. They are pretty predictable, pretty ordinary, but still they are pretty. You won't be able to tell one from the next unless you dress them up in little hats or something. Then you would be telling your grandchildren stories about how you used to dress up all of your chickens in little hats and things. That might be fun too!

Now we have the Black Jersey Giants. They come in a white version too. It is said that If you are intent on letting your chickens range free white ones are easier targets for hawks and birds of prey that might snatch them out of the air. Jersey Giants are, as the name implies, a large breed. They have a green sheen to their feathers in the sunlight, just as a Blue Astrolorps has a blue sheen. The hens lay large brown eggs. The hen in the picture would actually come inside the house and lay eggs on the bed. Then again she was a special chicken named Calprina. She was very personable, and had the largest vocabulary of any chicken I have ever known. It was possible to have simulated conversations with her because her cackles had such variety and when you said something she always seemed to respond in some way that could be interpreted as something.

If I was digging a hole she would come up and cackle "Baaak, whatcha doin'?"

"Just digging a hole Calprina."

"Ohhhh, y'don't say? Is that a shovel you're using?"

"Yes, Calprina, it's a shovel. It makes holes much easier to dig."

"Ohhhh, Y'don't say?"

"Hey Calprina, look, I found a nice grub for you!" I pick up the grub and hold it out to her.

"Ohhhh, what's that? Whacha got there?"

Calprina spies the grub then stands upright and looks around to see if any other hens are near. Affirming that the coast is clear and there is no competition, she grabs the grub and takes it off a few feet to devour it with appreciative clucks.

"Ohhhh, looks good. Thank you, thank you very much, Ohhhh"

"You're welcome Calprina."

Calprina was a pretty good conversationalist as long as you didn't want to get too deep.

This is the rooster, Gyro, again...

Boy, he sure looked dumb when he crowed.

Hey! Get a Chicken Shirt with Gyros' picture on it! At the Planet Chicken Shop!

The Black Jersey Giant rooster, Kingfish. He was a huge rooster. He was the Number One rooster of our bunch, no question about it. I never measured him, but he was easily 30-inches tall. He was the Big Boss, he ran the yard. Occasionally Gyro and he would scuffle, but mostly it was Gyro turning tail and heading for the woods when Kingfish approached. Once a week Gyro would make the obligatory challenge to Kingfish to see if he was really interested in keeping his job as Top Rooster. Kingfish always responded in the affirmative and Gyro was hightailing it to the brush before you could say "Britney Spears."

A truce always ensued from dusk until they were let out of the chicken house every morning. Gyro would always be the last one in every evening, waiting until Kingfish was firmly ensconced on his roost. In the morning Kingfish was always first out, and would turn around, watching the door, waiting to catch the first hen off of her guard. After all, he had been inactive all night he had business to attend to. The hens would tend to bolt our of the door trying to gain a little distance and a few bites before Kingfish pounced. Gyro was always last, waiting until Kingfish was distracted by other matters. Then Gyro would rush out the door and around the chicken house to keep his distance from Kingfish.

Even though he was firmly ensconced as Top Rooster this does not imply that Kingfish was not psychotic. He was, after-all, a rooster and all roosters are psychotic. There were animate non-hen things about that were larger than him that he felt a threatened by. It was always amusing to see him try to attack a car.

Kingfish is so handsome that you probably want a T-Shirt or Tote Bag with this rooster on it!

Well we have them at the Planet Chicken Shop!

And then there are the Guinea Fowl

But they deserve a set of pages all of their own.

Hey! Want to check out more animal pictures?
AnotherCupOfTea.com has picture of bunnies, woodchucks and bobcats.
Go take a look!

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