Nadine?
When I was in 8th grade my mom took me to the Independent Cat Society in Westville, Indiana, to get a cat. It was difficult to choose, but we came home with a gray tabby named Nadine. She was a sweetheart, with (like most cats) a quirk or two. One of them? If you were outside with her, she'd hop on your shoulder and perch, just like a furry little parrot.
Actually, a furry big parrot.
The first time we fired up the incubator to hatch chicks, two were born. They are now close to full grown - cute little buggers, too. One of them is red and white, and ever since she was old enough to fly, she would fly up onto my shoulder when I went out into the henhouse.
Because these two birds were being crowded out at the feeder, we separated them for a while by putting them at the south end of the chicken run, in a 'mini run' of their own. I could feed and water them through openings in the fence, they could eat and grow uninterrupted - it was win/win for everyone. The fact that this hen would have some time to break her perching (on me) habit was really just a bonus thing. I mean...it's cute an all, but a little unsettling too.
Our weather has turned cold, and I didn't like the idea of them out in the open. They have a little building in the south run (an old dog house), but they perch on top of it at night, out in the open. I don't want them to get frostbite. Also, they've grown quite a lot, and are nearly as big as the adult hens, so we opened the little gate. Everyone is together again.
We went out today to give them some kitchen scraps, feed them, all the regular stuff, and guess what happened? Yep - just like old times.
I went out tonight with the camera to see if she'd do it for y'all.
This is a heavy breed bird - half Cornish, half White Plymouth Rock. When she's 7-8 pounds, this could get interesting...
Actually, a furry big parrot.
The first time we fired up the incubator to hatch chicks, two were born. They are now close to full grown - cute little buggers, too. One of them is red and white, and ever since she was old enough to fly, she would fly up onto my shoulder when I went out into the henhouse.
Because these two birds were being crowded out at the feeder, we separated them for a while by putting them at the south end of the chicken run, in a 'mini run' of their own. I could feed and water them through openings in the fence, they could eat and grow uninterrupted - it was win/win for everyone. The fact that this hen would have some time to break her perching (on me) habit was really just a bonus thing. I mean...it's cute an all, but a little unsettling too.
Our weather has turned cold, and I didn't like the idea of them out in the open. They have a little building in the south run (an old dog house), but they perch on top of it at night, out in the open. I don't want them to get frostbite. Also, they've grown quite a lot, and are nearly as big as the adult hens, so we opened the little gate. Everyone is together again.
We went out today to give them some kitchen scraps, feed them, all the regular stuff, and guess what happened? Yep - just like old times.
I went out tonight with the camera to see if she'd do it for y'all.
This is a heavy breed bird - half Cornish, half White Plymouth Rock. When she's 7-8 pounds, this could get interesting...
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Gill