We all have one : the favorite chick out of all the little fluffs . Our 2016 Orpington hatch generate 24 baby , each of them soft and lovable . One little skirt , however , capture my eye from the moment his cop was dry . A soft slate Gy , this downy chick came straight to me the day I began the exercises I use to acquaint our infant poultry with humans . He record no fear or hesitation but rather hopped right into my hand , cocking his mind at me as if to say , “ What next ? ”
From that second on , that chick was my itty - bitty buddy . I showed all of our babies a lot of TLC , but picayune Blue got so much more … and not just from me . When not in his brooder , he was contentedly dozing in my son Bryce ’s easy grip as Bryce sat on the sofa reading . My hubby , Jae , would pause to talk to him every now and then . And yes , there were many metre that fiddling Blue kept me company as I worked on my laptop computer . He was queer , but he was a dish . Ana Hotaling
Once his feather , coxcomb and legs announced he was a boy , Little Blue became Thomas Orpington . It seemed an awfully ostentatious name for a small biddy , but he shortly get into it as he and his hatchmates affect into that clunky juvenile stage . Before long , our Orpington fold — the “ novel ” Orpingtons , as we called them — had outgrow their juvenile brooder and needed their own coop and political campaign .
I originally planned to have our existing Orpington mickle take the new kids under wing in our chief coop . However , our “ Orpington ” flock includes Alexandra Royal Palm , who believes she is a chicken ; honorary Orpingtons Diana Cochin and Dolly Ameraucana ; and a half dozen genuine Orpington hen . These much larger , older girl would have made mincemeat out of the little cat . We quickly repurposed our former Cochin coop , moved it into position , and in went the younger birds . Everyone was well-chosen . Ana Hotaling
Except for Thomas . Our Orpington heap free ranges ; the girls know their boundaries and always return to their coop at Nox . The Modern chicken were a curiosity for them and , instead of rove our acreage , the hens wander back and away along the new Orpingtons ’ lean fenceline . This shift Thomas vastly , and he ’d match the sr. dame step for step from the interior of the running . His beau flockmates notice the existence of the other Orpingtons , but only Thomas became uncertain by them .
I presently hear why . In a continued seek to unite the two Orpington flocks , I opened the trial to allow the new Orps to free scope . My Bob Hope was that the sr. girls , now customary to the newcomer , would show the younger bird the ropes . The moment the run gate was open , Thomas shot out , raced over to the older Orpingtons , and attempted to mate with every single hen . I say assay because some of the girls screak and flew by , while a duet drove him off . Thomas ’ manful flockmates come to the rescue of the remaining girls , ganging up on him and chase him off .
Ana Hotaling
This vista replayed almost daily and , to my dismay , Thomas expanded his amatory avocation to admit the pullets in his spate . The four other Orpington boys would n’t stand for this . In a united front , they continually block him , ran him off or jumped on him as he mounted , knocking him off a piteous girl ’s back . I was horrified by Thomas ’ behaviour . In all my years of chicken rearing , I had never take care a cockerel so hormonally drive . He even tried for our Ameraucana hen , despite their being inaccessible to him , safely enclosed in their trial . Thomas promptly became the pariah of the pack . No one , male person or distaff , want anything to do with him . Thomas was smart , though , and change his maneuver . rather of set about a distaff head on , he ’d malinger out of passel until none of the other boys were around . Once the slide was clear , he ’d step on it toward his dupe , do the deed , then shoot to a new concealment spot . Ana Hotaling
As the girls ’ backs began attest to Thomas ’ success , I began to desperation . How could my favorite chick have become this full jerking ? Family and friends paint a picture betray him . But I could n’t burden somebody with this aggressive chick . Besides , Thomas was grow out to be a veridical smasher . or else , I start out capturing him and putting him in “ boy jail ” to cool his heel . To my shock , each clock time Thomas was immure , the tractor serving as his holding cadre would be surrounded by pullets and hen waiting for his firing . Ana Hotaling
Over the next year , the dynamic of our Orpington good deal changed . Thomas and his serail , as I dub them , move into the main Orpington coop . Every morning , he ’d lead his little girl away from the other fowl , returning at dusk . This manner , Thomas avoided the other Male , who now tag and attacked him just for being near them . Unfortunately , Thomas now caused me unlike vexation , as he and his serail spent the 24-hour interval dig up my front gardens , get messes in our barn , and getting in the way of vehicles on our drive . Jae once again pep up me to sell him .
Ana Hotaling
lately , still floored by the fact that any girl in her right mind would need to be with Thomas , I set about keeping a close oculus on the blue Orpington male child . What I discovered blew me out . Thomas lead his daughter into our coolheaded , fly-by-night barn on hot day and rainy days , keep the lady friend in one specific spot and preventing them from explore any further . The disastrous digging in my front gardens ? Thomas was just scratching up insects to feed his girls . And , contrary to what I ’d assumed , Thomas did n’t keep his harem in the front thousand all Clarence Day long . He escorted his young lady back to the cage several time a twenty-four hour period so that they could lay their eggs . About a week ago , Thomas and company were refund to the front yard follow a cage pleasure trip when the sky open up . The gloomy roo quickly led his seraglio to shelter under our pack of cards while the other boys did nothing — for themselves or for the other girls — as it stormed . Ana Hotaling
My self-aggrandizing surprise came a few twenty-four hour period ago . I ’d bought blueberry at our local farmers ’ securities industry and , lamentably , a good routine of the berries were in sorry pattern . I ’d headed outside to give them to the Ameraucanas when I encountered Thomas and his girls crossing the driveway near our service department . I figured what the heck , one set of birds worked as well as another . I dispose a few blueberry bush in Thomas ’ commission , who immediately originate clucking . The girls instantly clustered around him but did not go after the blueberries . Thomas then pick up a Chuck Berry , turned to the hen closest to him , and she rob the Charles Edward Berry directly from his mouth ! As she hustled aside to enjoy her treat , the next girl step up to take a Charles Edward Berry from Thomas ’ neb . I was so fascinated by this behavior that I offered Thomas berries from my open palm , just like I used to bid him treats as a chick . Thomas regarded me for a few heartbeats , then gently plucked the berries from my hand — and feed them to his harem . Not once did he deplete any of the blueberries himself . Ana Hotaling
Our tough boy had become a wise and parent Ilex paraguariensis . Thomas had in spades redeemed himself in my middle , just as he had in the eye of his girls . I ’m glad I discount all the suggestion to sell him . I always know there was something special about that footling blue chick .
Ana Hotaling
Ana Hotaling
Ana Hotaling
Ana Hotaling
