New Chicken

Well, after losing Comet to the hawk, I knew that Beaker was going to need another companion. But I hadn’t realized how much she needed one. We kept her protected in the covered run for the past few days with plenty of food, water, and shelter. But she ate less. She started to look kinda scrawny. We let her out to free range while we worked on yard work, and she started to perk up. It became clear that we were her flock. She stretched her wings, started to explore again, and started to eat and drink with gusto. But it’s hard to be there for her all the time. I’m afraid enough of the hawk returning that I don’t want to free-range her without supervision, but it’s cold, wet and rainy outside. She doesn’t mind so much, but I can only stay out there for so long. Honestly, her covered run is a pretty good number of square feet, so I don’t feel guilty about keeping her in there. But without some company, she definitely gets droopy. Went out to sit with her yesterday and she wouldn’t stray more than 3 feet away from me.

So! Today was new chicken day!!!! Went back to Chicago Chicken Rescue which is a super cool place in Hyde Park. I will do a specific post on them someday if it’s okay with them. Looked around the yard at the chickens, many of which were quite pretty…think there was a silver wyandotte and a buff orpington and a pretty black one and a pretty white one. Oh…and an adorable bantam rooster of some type. Then I saw the niftiest brown/gold chicken with little black tracings around it’s wings. I knew some chickens were off-limits due to the son of the proprietor’s attachment. But, no…this was not one of the claimed ones! We cornered it, eventually. (Chickens are tricky SOBs).

We now have a second lovely chicken. They’re going through their initial pecking order fighting, but they are both sleeping in the coop together tonight. I think Beaker is gonna like having a new friend. Next step…naming.