Cute Chick.

That's my momma.

Obviously, chicken love runs deep in this family. The portrait at right was recently commissioned, and depicts one of my favorite Mother Photos ever.

Each time I toss a little cracked corn to one of the girls, I think of Mom. Sometimes I remember the evil rooster that attacked me in my grandmother's yard, too. That's another story; I still have a scar on my left arm. All I was trying to do was catch one of his hens and pet her. Good grief.

We try to keep our roosters docile around here. Morgan has learned a lot of manners, and responds well when I yell at him. This happens often, as Morgan is currently in the habit of trying to court Chuck the Duck.

Chickens are entertaining. I observe the societal microcosm in our yard on a daily basis, and it's a bona fide soap opera. The Young and the Flightless. Ryan's Coop. Poultry Place.

                                                                                                                                                                          

Copyright Sue Lynn Cotton

Sue Lynn Cotton, Watercolor Artist 

Here's another family photo:

Uncle Reese and my mom

Are the two of them adorable, or what?

That hen looks mighty happy to be in Reese's clutches.

I am going to have to ask him where he got that hat, and inquire why Mother was dressed so nattily for the barnyard. That's a lot of bare leg with so many beaks around. Perhaps it is why she's standing shyly in the background—she was trying to avoid unwanted chicken advances.

The situation called for jeans. I know from experience.

Trust me, I'm a poultry farmer.

Faithful blog readers know that I Run with the Chickens for exercise. It's a daily ritual: I carry a mozzarella cheese stick and have seven hens chasing me around. They compete for the teeny strings like they're exotic worms. That must be exactly what they're thinking as they bounce from foot to foot in hot pursuit.


Some of my snarkier friends joke about Poultry Pilates, and there are requests for video of this spectacle from time to time. Trust me, it will not be appearing.

I am often asked what chickens eat. As far as ours are concerned, the answer is everything. They are velociraptors when there's a fresh field mouse from the cat. Fruits and vegetables summon them from afar. All are dairy connoisseurs in the presence of cheese, and will do things you wouldn't believe for cottage cheese in particular.

Jay and I are attending The Alabama Chicken and Egg Festival Saturday. I cannot tell you how eagerly I await the trip. I am going to soak up the kitschiness, admire the birds, listen to the music and take loads of photos for you. The only thing that puzzles me is that grilled chicken is apparently among the offered cuisine. I have excellent chicken-as-pets-and-not-food disassociation skills, but I may find them tested.

Like I said, chickens are entertaining.



I thank Sue Lynn Cotton for preserving one of my most precious images. I was fortunate to take classes with her, and she's an amazing watercolorist.





Love from Delta.