Published: November 25, 2009 10:43 am      

Angie, chickens especially thankful today

Thanksgiving equals togetherness — being with the ones you love. Like most of you I will be sitting around the table tomorrow with my family enjoying a mouth-watering meal with all the trimmings along with a certain little sheltie’s head in my lap begging for some turkey. Heh, there is usually some family member drooling over their food — mine just happens to be furry.

Cordy really enjoys the carrots, which add a little color to the olive and pickle tray. I prefer to gorge myself on pickles instead. As you can see, Cordy just may be a little smarter than me. I also enjoy the desserts on Thanksgiving, which I might add Cordy will not be trying no matter how much drool ends up in my lap. The cherry cheesecake I’m making has my name already all over it. I have one thing going for me after pigging out — I can always run it off Friday.

Before I spend some quality time with my family and welcome in the holiday season by watching the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I will be bonding with my chicken family first. Let’s see, what’s that phrase — “Birds of a feather flock together.” That certainly describes my girls and me.

Since my girls have survived a malicious pecking order, they now seem to be taking togetherness to the extreme as well. Before, they were literally trying to peck others to death and now they can’t live without each other. This sounds a bit like a dysfunctional relationship don’t you think? Let’s see, “Romeo and Juliet” could be taken to new heights. My hen-pecked survivor, Henny Penny, would be great as the tragic Juliet and Snickers a dashing Romeo. Shakespeare is probably rolling over in his grave as we speak. Seriously, I really have to get out more in 2010.

Anyway, so where was I? Oh, yes back to togetherness. My hens love sitting on a step ladder at night. When the sun decides to go to bed, so do they. I’m glad I never have to tell them twice about going to sleep. However, I do catch them daydreaming about their version of Fabio, Foghorn Leghorn, from time to time. Just kidding. I think I might be a little sleep deprived. What do you think?

My girls just can’t seem to get close enough. They risk life and limb every night for a prime spot on that ladder. You would think they were fighting for a front-row seat at a George Strait concert. There are probably 20 chickens sandwiched on that ladder and on the top five steps!

To give them a little more breathing room my dad decided to purchase another step ladder for added comfort, but my girls still stuck together. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because when they were babies they did the same thing. They looked like a yellow-fleece blanket spread across the floor.

However, one day the light finally went on for Henny Penny who had been bullied in the coop. She finally figured out a way to get some space and probably a good night’s sleep. She found herself a roomy spot on the other ladder. Talk about having an epiphany.

It’s pretty amusing when I open the chicken condo’s door at night and see 24 hens crammed on one ladder and one hen resting comfortably on the other. Even though togetherness is great, I think everybody needs their space once in awhile. Heck, even a chicken knows that.

So, on Thanksgiving when you are sitting down to your meal with the aroma of dressing, grandma’s homemade gravy and sweet potatoes filling your nostrils and thanking God for all the blessings he has bestowed on you throughout the year — just think my hens will be doing the same thing. Well, their version would be a little modified, however, with some extra grit flavoring their poultry-layer feed. But, they will be saying their blessings nonetheless — thankful they were not born a turkey. Now, I don’t know about you but that is really something to be thankful for.



Angie Bicker is the Lifestyles Editor for the Clinton Herald. She can be reached at angiebicker@clintonherald.com.