I never dreamed that I might one day fall in love with a chicken. But, I did. This is how it happened. Two years ago, I was living and working on an alpaca ranch. The man, who lived in the property above us, had a small cattle ranch and his partner had a chicken business. They were moving to Montana and the woman had left ahead of him. He also left, with a load of his things, but not all of them. While he was away, I noticed a lone chicken wandering around between our two properties.
I would see her in the morning, when I was going out to feed the dogs, when I was filling water troughs for the alpacas, and when I was scooping alpaca poo from the pens. I talked to her and observed her eating larvae from the poo piles. I was baffled that the owner would have left her alone while he was off in another state. I think she had not been alone in the beginning, because one morning I heard the distinct sound of a chicken being predated. When her owner, whose name was Kevin, returned for the rest of his things, I asked him if I could have her and he readily agreed. I then gave her a name – KC – abbreviation for Kevin’s Chicken.
I had wanted to have chickens for a long time, but it was one of those dreams that had been put in storage. I was amazed that she had escaped harm, being all alone, and I wondered where she went at night time and where she was hiding her eggs. I soon discovered that she was roosting inside the alpaca shelter, on a wooden post about five feet off the ground. After a much longer while, I found several places around the property where she had left a dozen or more of her eggs. I immediately set to work learning all I could about raising chickens, and I asked a friend of mine to build me a coop. She did not want to use the coop at first, because it was too low to the ground. I would pick her up after she had fallen asleep on the wood post, and put her in the coop so she eventually became used to it. She was very friendly and she would let me pet her, too.
I decided that she was probably a bit lonely, so I purchased two more chickens of approximately the same age. I named her new housemates Thelma and Louise, after a friend suggested the names. The coop was small, but it was perfect for three chickens. Winter was settling in, as well, so I purchased straw bales to go around the coop, even though it was inside the alpaca shelter, and I covered it at night with a thermal camping blanket, which kept them cozy all winter long. Each morning I would take warm oatmeal to them, for their breakfast, as a supplement to their regular feed. I mixed in numerous herbs to ensure their health, and took them a treat each afternoon. Their straggly feathers soon began to be replaced with shiny new ones and they were looking prettier and healthier every day. It gave me such joy to get out of bed each morning, to feed them, and I know they were happy because they were free roaming, giving them ample space to forage. I appreciated the eggs they laid for me each day, which I often gave away, and used for baking.
Later, the following summer, Louise was predated while I was away. I was saddened, but I knew another hungry animal was able to feed its young. A few months later, I had to move and I was anguished because I knew I would not be able to have my chickens at the place I was moving into. I found a new home for them, which was a beautiful property and I knew it would be a paradise for them, in spite of the fact that their new caretaker would not spoil them, as I had done. A couple of months ago I had an email to notify me that a fox had found its way into their coop and KC was gone.
I still have a picture of the three of them taking shelter out of the rain, just outside the sliding glass doors, looking in at me. It is a precious memory. I think about KC often and how much I loved her. She was a special soul that graced my life for a brief time. I may have chickens again one day, but KC touched my heart in a way that I can only describe as a gift from the universe.
