The Drama

These past few weeks have been difficult in the coop. One thing I have not mentioned in this blog has been Twinkie's dark side. I try to focus on the happy and pleasing things that happen, not dwell so much on the negative. Twinkie had demons.

Twinkie lost her mother last summer then I gave away her brothers, Nacho and Farina. She was as close to Farina as she was to Ducky. I feel now, in retrospect, that it was cruel to separate them. At the time Twinkie still had Ducky and I thought she always would. PeeWee and Fuzztop of Silkies Gen1 never bonded with Twinkie and I thought they would. They seemed to be respectfully apathetic towards each other. PeeWee and Fuzztop were a tight clique. I would keep Twinkie company as much as I could and shower her with attention but as the months went on she became increasingly more aggressive with me. I did play along and let her be the boss but that wasn't it.

Chickens have expressions and those who keep chickens know this. Twinkie had an angry face and it wouldn't let up. Her caustic squawk became even more abrasive and the pecks became more deliberate. Twinkie would put her beak on me, shut tightly then pull and twist. She broke skin, it hurt. She never pecked the other hens and they never pecked her. Why was I getting pecked? What happens when you love an animal dearly and it all it wants to do is hurt you? I was being attacked pulling weeds, sitting out and reading a book, walking around. She would see me from across the yard and charge to nip, peck and bite with all her might.

I phoned my grandfather and told him about Twinkie and he said he'd never had a hen act that way. Then he suggested maybe it's because she has no family. Chickens are very social and this little girl just wasn't having her needs met so I made the decision to try to find a family for Twinkie. This was so hard because as I said, I love this bird very much. I posted an ad on Craigslist with photos and a link to a video of Twinkie. A few hours later my inbox was filled with people who were interested, curious or just wanted to tell me I had a cute hen so why get rid of her. Feeling like a flake, I decided, after everything, not to let Twinkie go and get her a rooster instead so she could start her own family.

It was at this moment that I received a call from a distraught chicken owner who came home that day to find her old hen dead and her pet duck mourning the passing. She said the whole family was upset but none more than her duck who had so much love and affection for his friend. She wanted to adopt Twinkie right away. My heart sank because this was the family that needed Twinkie and she would be happy there and she would be leaving me.

The next day the woman came by with a really cute carrier made of wood and chicken wire. Twinkie had been out in the yard. I couldn't bring myself to photograph her one last time. I had taken so many photos of her already and didn't want any of these last few moments together. I loved her and didn't like what I was doing and yet it felt right. I began to tell the woman what to expect from my hen, how she is smart, very smart. Twinkie then freaked out and ran all over the yard squawking for dear life. She had never done this before, it was as if she knew. She reads my mind. I caught her, hugged her and the woman continued to tell me how she had a lovely garden, how she had pullets that could use a leader and had a duck who would  love her more than anything. She said Twinkie had the best disposition for her flock. Then she said her son wanted a buff Silkie and how beautiful Twinkie was. Twinkie calmed down completely and I put her in the cage with some food and then she was gone. I went inside and cried because it was her birthday.

A few hours later the woman called and told me that when she got home Twinkie heard the pullets and was anxious to get out. Once she was released she went straight to the coop and sat and gathered some pullets around. Then she jumped on the roost (Twinkie loves to roost) and then jumped off and went straight for the food and water. The duck approached her and she didn't flinch and they walked off together. The woman said Twinkie seemed so happy and fit right in.

All living things have a purpose or want one. Twinkie wanted to lead, to belong to a group that accepted her and she found her place.  Lesson learned: Next time, close sibs will be given away together. It is hard to have to give any of them up, always. Twinkie was special and I comfort myself in thinking that I will continue to raise and meet unique and special personalities so long as I stay in the business of chickens. But I do miss her and despite all those mean injuries and scars, I still love her.