Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Kamen Mends


She's feeling plucky, she's sounding clucky, and we know she's lucky. It's Kamen, the bobcat smiting, robot chicken: able to survive, heal, and overcome against improbable odds. And we would like to thank everyone that expressed their care and compassion for this dear and remarkable little hen.

Thank you! We are continuing to monitor our security improvements, and make all the safeguards we can reasonably manage. We have even procured a live trap, thanks to our friends, Corina and Chris. Chris will build a preserve for Bob El Gato and use him as a mascot for his metal shop company... just kidding. We are going to make Bob El Gato Tamales, sell them, and use the profits to open the Kamen Chicken Clinic. Seriously, just kidding.


It's not easy photographing a shy and traumatized, black chicken. And if you cannot tell: she is beautiful... except when she lifts her wings and you see the truly gnarly scars and wounds she is still bearing, but then she looks even more beautiful, because overcoming injury and living with those scars is beautiful.

We figure there is nerve damage. Her leg, beneath all the worst damage, shakes. A lot. She gets spooked by things we cannot detect and runs into things, in a seemingly random fashion. She visits the other chicas, but... this is sad to admit: they are really mean to her. We think they believe she has returned from the dead, and is in fact a zombie. And that may explain why they jumped her and pulled out more of her feathers. Geez, "henpecked" is seriously scary. She is not going back to the coop, until we get a handle on this.

I, of course, hoped that with all the tender loving care I was administering, she would turn her gaze on me and think, in her wee hen brain, "This is the nicest person ever, and I trust her, and I want to be her friend, and hang out with her, and tell her secrets, and sit on her shoulder when we ride around town... "

(No. No, I am not chica-co-dependent. Why do you ask?)

Last week, she pretty much was as freaked out and disinterested in me as she ever was. Oh well, I thought.

But in the last few days... well, she kind of does like me.

Grin.

Yeah. She doesn't run from me. She lets me scoop her up, without squawking and flailing, like all those other chicken-heads. And last night I decided to sit with her, not too hopeful that she would appreciate my attention. She sat with me, then Alex, for about two hours! She roosted on my arm. She listened to Maria read. She preened. She cooed. She clucked contentedly. She dozed. She was mellow, inquisitive, sweet. When Alex held her, they both looked so comfortable and distinguished... well, it was wonderful.


Max did his homework, Maria did hers. Alex and I talked about all the best inventions of 2011. Suki painted. Geoff and William were at welding class. The cats snoozed on the clean and folded laundry. And Kamen, our miracle chica, basked in the glow of a night, safe and home, in the Bird House.

4 comments:

Alison said...

You should totally open a chicken clinic. Poulty-loving suburban homesteaders everywhere will flock to you with their over-coddled egg-laying charges. As Dad replied to everyone who exclaimed at the "free" eggs we enjoyed, "Those are most expensive eggs in the county!" But they come with entertainment, and who can put a price on that?

BTW, the other chicas will attack a bird they see as weak or damaged. They really are cruel about it. So Kamen may end up being a Bird House mascot. Would that be so bad? Maybe she can sweep the floors with her wings or something.

Miriam said...

Flartus is right, and I have seen it for myself: chickens don't like seeing vulnerability in their flock mates, and pick on any that are hurt or sick. It's awful to see, when our hearts do the exact opposite and root for the underdog.

But it sounds like Kamen just needs a bit more time to recover. What a brave chica!

judy in ky said...

Lucky, plucky Kamen... I am so happy to see this.

d.a. said...

Hooray, Kamen! Hopefully she'll be back to her old self soon.