Friends Forever

Here it is, my first blog about the zoo side of my life.

Back in March I had this wonderful idea to stop at a farm store and include chickens to the list of animals we house.  At that time, I picked up 8 chicks that I was told were all pullets (females) and believe it or not, they really are all females.  4 are dark brown with gold and 4 were light brown with white.  One had a bad beak and didn't make it very long, but the other 7 thrived in our sun room.

The day came when they were finally big enough and it was warm enough for them to live outside.  I could finally get our sun room back!

But then life happened and a friend of ours who had purchased three chicks (two banties and one white large one) had to move away to where she couldn't bring them with her.  So we took them in and loved them just like we did the other ones, as they, too, took over our sun room until they were large enough to roam the back yard.

Slowly, we introduced the new chickens (now down to one banti, Ellie, and the big white one, Puff), to the brood we already had outside.  The "older" by about 4 weeks chickens were not too thrilled with their new feathered friends and chased them around the yard.  The two new ones would not leave eachother's side.

For several days, we would bring the white ones outside to let the others get used to them and each night we would bring them in.

Until last night.

They are big enough, old enough, strong enough to survive outside.

The others were not thrilled with them, but it seemed ok.

At first.

This morning, I looked out the window and I saw the sweetest thing.  Ellie (the banti) was small enough to fit through the cage and was on the outside while Puff was on the inside.  Puff was pacing and Ellie followed.  Before I went to work, I decided to let Puff out to be closer to Ellie.

As I walked closer to the cage, it appeared that Puff was stuck in the little openings and Ellie was right next to her.  I was in awe of how close those two chickens were to eachother.

Then I saw Puff's head and cried.

The other chickens pecked at Puff so much that she had red oozing blood going down her beautiful white feathers.

My heart froze.  I tried to grab her, but she got away.

Puff and Ellie took off into the tall grass and I didn't have time to chase them down, and I wouldn't have been able to get them by myself anyways.

Ted and the kids looked a few times throughout the day, but nothing.

I came home from work and searched in the tall grass and weeds for over an hour.

Still nothing.

Dinner was cooking (ironically chicken), and I had given up finding those beautiful birds.

The kids were swimming in the pool and I saw them.

The girls came out of the woods!

They stayed together and were alive!

Quickly, I snuck out to them and just as quickly they ran back into the brush under some black berry bushes.  My heart sank again, but at least they were alive!

About 30 minutes later, out they came again and this time, with the kids as reinforcements, I grabbed those chickens.

Puff's head was (still is) aweful looking.  I rinsed her off with water, peroxide and an iodine shampoo.  Everytime I took her to get cleaned up, Ellie freaked out.  Puff was talking, too, but quieter, as if to tell her friend that she was OK and was being taken care of.

Ellie stayed with Puff, through it all.  Any form of animal could have come and grabbed them, especially with the blood and open wound, but they didn't.

Ellie and puff are insiprational to me. 

I know, I know, they are chickens. 

But how long would you stay with your friend if they were tore up, beaten down, and begging to be attacked?

Ellie Stayed.

No questions asked.

She couldn't help her friend's wound to heal, but she could at least be beside her friend and let her know that she was not alone.

My prayer for tonight is that my children will find friends as dedicated to eachother and that I can be that way with my friends as Ellie was and is with Puff.

Now, those two feathered friends are back in my sun room, away from the bullies, and on the healing path.

Besides, how funny is it that while I'm in the bathroom cleaning out the wounds of a chicken, I have some baking in the oven?