In memory

Yesterday I went out to the barn to find Harriet, my banty hen, all alone amid a sea of feathers. Apparently, a weasel got into the barn and killed the other 6 chickens. I am really too depressed to write a recipe, so I am pasting something I wrote elsewhere a few weeks ago.

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'The girls', Don King and Einstien. They are white crested black polish , so they have funny white crowns of feathers on their heads but are otherwise black. They are very independant, and will go after the dogs if they need to. They don't put up with crap from outsiders. Beene is also a polish, she is very responsive to me, and likes to run up to new people and check them out, where the girls don't bother with people unless they get too close.

Harriet is a little black banty, she is very bold, and puts up with no crap from anyone, even though she is the smallest. She comes running as fast as she can, or flies, when you call, where as the others come more slowely. She is really the boss of the flock. Gonzo, a little banty rooster is very affectionate. He loves to jump on my arm and dance his little rooster dance. He will clean his beak on me, and crow sometimes on command.

Florish is a banty cochin, she is a black ball of feathers. She is very passive, you can pick her right up. She is broody, so her instinct to nest is strong. She is not so interactive as the other birds, but I got her later as an adult. Blotts is her mate. He looks similar, and before a few weeks ago was not really personable. But the roosters got in a fight, (little tiny Gonzo kicked poor Blotts ass). Blotts was torn up, so I had to bring him in the house and spend an hour cleaning his comb, beak and feathers. After that, he is very attached to me. He will come running when I visit, and then follows me around. He will let me pick him up with no fuss, and now does the rooster dance too.

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I will miss them dearly, especially my boys, Gonzo and Blotts. Gonzo was the most attached from the beginning, he always loved to jump on my arm and visit, even if it was just for a minute. And I will miss Blotts waddling towards me as fast as he could, just just so he could stand next to me and puff up all handsome. The other day I left out some melon guts for them, and Blotts just stood over them and cried "Look!Look!" for a full minute until Flo came over, then he dived in as soon as her beak hit the pile. He wouldn't eat until she did. It will be very difficult to get a new rooster.