Henny Penny Farmette

My as-yet-unnamed Rhode Island Red thinks she is my best friend

Collecting eggs, I bent over into the chicken house. Suddenly, a large chicken land on my back and start talking to me in her chicken language. I immediately knew it was my Rhode Island Red. She follows me everywhere.

It would have made a cute picture, but here’s the thing: you don’t want chickens tarrying too long in one place because they are famous for frequent and abundant droppings.

The Rhody is the most personable chicken in my flock and the one I handled the least when I cared for the flock of baby chicks in a tub in my kitchen. However, the chicken I handled the most from my tub of baby chicks was the yellow Buff Orpington, and today she’s difficult with the other hens and its also the first to have gone broody.

As I do chores around the farmette, the Rhody keeps me company. When I go inside to work in my office on my writing projects, she often hangs out under my office window, clucking or making an number of various chicken sounds. She also responds to my voice when I call out her. If I had it to do over again, I’d have a whole flock of Rhode Island Reds, just for the personality.