Shake a tail feather, Baby!

No, this isn't another of my rants about the mayor and city council. If you're looking for my latest local political rants... Well, that was the link.

With the upcoming visit of The Discovery Channel to my northeast Greensboro home, my 3 chickens, BB. Elizabeth and Gus, the rooster formerly known as Gloria, will become Greensboro's most widely known chickens. I'm not sure if the three of them are ready for fortune and fame-- okay, just fame-- but ready or not Monday the camera rolls.

I wonder if they'll need a signed release form as well?

Happily, after speaking with all my nearby neighbors, I've learned that none are bothered by Gus's crowing. They all like the fact that their children are able to come over and learn about chickens and Elizabeth's blue-green eggs are the hit of neighborhood breakfast tables. Some of the neighbor's children actually managed to take their eggs to school for show and tell and make it back home eggs intact until breakfast the next morning.

Gus is really no louder than the dogs across the street, the car stereos that rattle my windows at 3 AM. or the big old owl who comes to visit every night and no one sleeps closer to Gus than I do with the exception of BB and Elizabeth.

Of course, I'm not going to be the one to explain to the neighborhood kids why Gus keeps jumping on top of Elizabeth and BB but if their parents don't know I'll gladly explain it to the parents so they can explain it to their kids. There are some jobs Santa Claus should not have to do.

I wonder, would they still think me Santa if I didn't have chickens, give away bicycles and drive an airplane down the street?

Gus's behavior has changed remarkably since he discovered himself a rooster about 2 weeks ago. Prior to that day he had never crowed, jumped the others or acted the least bit aggressive except when hogging the food. Now Gus crows throughout the daytime, attempts mating 2 or 3 times an hour, watches over the other two as if they were his children, waits to allow the girls to eat first and just today he twice attacked me from behind-- something he's never done before. It seems to bother him greatly that Elizabeth will sometimes allow me to pet her but so far has denied him a successful mating attempt as both attacks were just seconds after I stopped rubbing her back.

I responded by asking him if he realized he was still young enough to fry and then called him a chicken.

One thing that Gus simply cannot stand is for Elizabeth or BB to be anywhere he isn't. Let one of them get out of his sight or on the other side of the garden fence (I thought I'd solved that problem.) and Gus immediately throws a tantrum until both of his girls return. The only time Gus allows his girls to remain unattended for more than a minute or so is when they lay their eggs. And it troubles him to no end for me or anyone else to walk between him and them.

As I write this all three are safely inside their chicken tractor perched on their roosts. (No, they're not allowed the keys.) Elizabeth is still commanding the higher perch while Gus and BB snuggle on the lower perch. I wonder what might happen if I added a 3rd. perch to their tractor?

And the worms are getting along well too.