The Chicken Man, the Chicken Man
After work today, we went to see the Chicken Man. I’m sure he has a name, but I’m sure I don’t know what it is.
We bought our first two chickens from him, eight years ago, and one is still going strong. I remember I was eyeballing some baby Orpingtons (perfectly ENORMOUS chickens when they’re all growed up) and Uncle B was looking miserable about it. Thinking of his garden, and what those giant poultry bombs could do to it.
We decided to decide later. On our way out the door, we passed some pretty little chickens. Uncle B said, “what are these? They look nice.” And the chicken man said, “pff! Those are bantams. I thought you wanted chickens.”
And the rest is history.
He’s far away, he’s very expensive, but I needed some stuff and sometimes only the Chicken Man will do. Have a great weekend!
Posted: June 1st, 2018 under animals, birds, personal.
Comments: 15
Comments
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 1, 2018, 8:49 pm
He has the most enormous barn, full of hundreds of chickens. It’s always immaculately clean.
At the moment, it’s still uploading to YouTube, but when it’s done here is some footage of the baby bantam enclosure.
He wants £30 a hen these days, would you believe!
Comment from Armybrat
Time: June 2, 2018, 1:45 am
My older sis has the most beautiful chickens. A fancy breed, pale grey with a feather topknot. I think she said they were polish. They are beautiful and good egg layers. She rescued a rooster who is more beautiful than the hens but is a complete asshole. He struts, he crows, he tosses his mop. He’s really quite the showman!
Comment from Deborah HH
Time: June 2, 2018, 2:09 am
My Aunt Minnie and her mother Mizz Minnie Pearl (I am not kidding), turned their chickens out into the garden every day. And they had a big garden—about 100x300ft. I always thought the fringe benefit of keeping chickens was their voracious appetite for bugs. But I was scared to death of Minnie Pearl; maybe the chickens were, too.
Eating at Aunt Minnie’s house was the best treat in the world. How about fresh black-eyed peas cooked with ham hocks. Fried okra. Spring onions and thick slices of tomatoes. Buttermilk corn bread. And iced tea so sweet and cold it made your teeth ache (served in canning jars).
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: June 2, 2018, 2:12 am
Some women shop for shoes, other women shop for chickens…
Comment from Bob
Time: June 2, 2018, 4:04 am
Oh, do you know the chicken man
The chicken man, the chicken man
Oh, do you know the chicken man
That lives on Drury Lane?
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: June 2, 2018, 4:09 am
“Big Chickens” reminded me of a great book from the early 90’s that was a favorite of mine:
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transhuman-Condition/dp/B012HTE1DI/ref=sr_1_3s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527911455&sr=1-3&keywords=great+mambo+chicken
The book is about science done at the thin line between research and madness.
Here’s a better review of the book than I could write from The New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13318124-900-review-spin-a-chicken/
I’ll just steal one quote from the review to tease you:
“The story opens with a murder case. When California resident Dora Kent ‘deanimated’, local cryonicists froze her head without, unfortunately, waiting for the required signature on the death certificate so attracting the attention of the police.”
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 2, 2018, 8:12 am
POLISH!!! AHHHHHH!!!! I want one in the worst way, I tell ya! They’re Dutch, actually. Aoparently, you can’t mix them with unPolish or they get picked on 🙁
I knew Minnie Pearl, Deborah. I mean, not intimately, but she was a Nashville fixture when I was a kid and my parents knew her IRL. Believe it or not, she was snooty. With a posh accent.
Comment from AliceH
Time: June 2, 2018, 1:44 pm
There are bantam buff orpingtons. Those were on my shortlist when I was investigating getting some chickens after my town made it legal again.
Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: June 2, 2018, 3:18 pm
Buff Orpington – the name always sounds like the guy behind the crime in a Sam Spade novel.
You know, the one who hired Skinny Malone to kill Ace Diamond in the casino while Sam was drinking champagne with his last client, one Trixie Huffnaggle.
Comment from Mostly Cajun
Time: June 2, 2018, 4:52 pm
Eight years? That’s a centenarian in Chicken terms. Most of ours hit the gumbo pot before then.
As for bantams, that’s not a bad choice. The eggs are small, but still useful, and if you’re of a mind to breed other varieties, the old folks’ wisdom was to keep a few ‘banty’ hens because they’re all about being ‘broody’, a trait often bred out of other breeds.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 3, 2018, 10:42 am
Broody as hell. My eight year old goes broody every year. I think that’s why she’s lived so long – she’s hardly laid a dozen eggs in her whole miserable life.
My little flock is strictly ornamental, so the eggs are just a nice plus.
Comment from Bob
Time: June 4, 2018, 5:12 am
Ever since I googled bantam chickens, I’ve been stalked across the Internet by ads for (upscale) yuppie chicken coops. I had no idea yuppies and hipsters were into chickens. Learn something new every day …
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 4, 2018, 8:55 pm
Oh, Bob. And how.
I assume you’ve been offered Eggloo? That’s the yuppies’ favorite.
Until you get into handmade coops that look like swiss chalets ‘n’ shit.
Comment from Steve Skubinna
Time: June 8, 2018, 10:12 pm
This is disturbing:
https://www.kitsap-humane.org/2018/06/khs-rescues-hens-chicks-from-cockfighting-ring/
I had no idea that cockfighting was a thing where I live. Stupid me.
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