Those were the words: “I’ve been keeping something from you”. From my husband. This is a shockingly weird thing to hear from him. We’re pretty darned honest with each other. So, hearing something like this is a bit shaking. Only a couple of days after he got back from his work trip, it’s time for him to reveal some big secret to me. This has happened before with other partners, and generally it’s not a good thing.
But…
It’s time to find a friend for Buffy! We’ve had her for a couple of weeks. We’ve created a home and gotten eggs and learned so much about chooks (Jeff really likes this British/Australian word for chickens, as do I…a name both cute and ungendered). Among so many things we’ve read and told, is the fact that chickens are social creatures who should have chicken friends.
Chicago Chicken Rescue is in Hyde Park, near University of Chicago on the south side of the city. Surrounded by apartment buildings and intermittent rows of single family homes in various states of repair. Being a University neighborhood, but also in a mixed economic area, Hyde Park is a combination of privilege and poverty. But even knowing that this is a historically eclectic area, I never expected a mini-farm in the middle of an otherwise unassuming block. Chickens may get top billing, but this place has chickens, a giant (GIANT) turkey, ducks, guinea fowl, peacocks, pigs, wedding doves, a pheasant. Although I didn’t see them, apparently this is or has also been home to goats, rabbits, geese, and more. Just about any domestic animal other than dogs and cats. They had coops, hutches, pens and a pond.
The helpful son (I’m guessing) of the animal keepers ran around the yard to find a couple of chickens that seemed like they would be a good match for Buffy. We were looking for a chicken that wasn’t too noisy, not afraid of people, not too aggressive, couldn’t jump too high (so they couldn’t jump over the fence), hopefully laid eggs. We were looking for Buffy Two. Two particular chickens were brought over–one a little worse for wear. Likely a Golden Comet chicken. A little older, a little more mellow. Then a larger, bolder Red Star chicken. Seemed peck-y, dominant, maybe a bit too much to match with Buffy.
So…home with Comet. Simple as that. 
Accidental Chicken 