When A Man Loves A Woman

SO much going on in the barnyard right now.  I wish I had the time to photograph and write about all of it!  Here’s a sampling of the past couple of days…

To begin, there was ice in the water bowls the chickens couldn’t peck through at feeding time yesterday.  For better or worse, I guess that means winter is sneaking up on us.

On a happier note, we’ve got NEW EGGS!  One of the three olive eggers (either TopKnot, NoKnot or Spot) just started laying—in the goat shed, of course.  I’ve found two sweet little eggs under the hay feeder.  Eggs are safe there, so you go girl!

I wanted it to be a deeper olive green…but I love it anyway!

Yesterday I had avian experts from Colorado State University visit the barnyard.  I signed up to be part of a research study on backyard chickens and salmonella.  They took many samples of poop and dirt.  They swabbed chicken throats.  I answered questions, then took a quiz on my knowledge of salmonella.  (I passed.)  Oh, and Doink “kissed” the sample taker. On the leg.  She said it didn’t hurt…much. Sigh.

But as usual, I digress.  The coming of age of the testosterone-filled roosters has been the headline in the barnyard.  It’s upsetting to the hens, to say the least.  But it’s less a single story and more of a soap opera full of stories.  One of those stories is about Jasmine.

As it turns out, Napoleon loves Jasmine.  He wants her all to himself.

She is a pretty girl.  I can see the attraction.

HE REALLY LOVES HER.  No sharing her with Big Man or Little Man.  No way.  He doesn’t let anyone close to her.

Stay. Away. I. Mean. It.

Definitely no sharing with Little Man.  (I assumed Little Man was a boy, but wasn’t positive until the pathetic little cock-a-doodle-do he let fly today.) He got the message and stays close to the two as-yet-unnamed girls he was hatched with, and I think they form a fine little group.

They take care of each other.

He is a bantam with feathered feet. He’s SO CUTE, but hard to take seriously.

While the researchers were here, Napoleon was separated from Jasmine for a while.  Big Man immediately found her and gave her “attention”.  Afterwards she hid in the lean-to but he found her and boxed her in a corner.  She looked so sad!

She miiiine! All miiiine!

When everyone was released, Napoleon made a beeline for Jasmine.  I hesitated putting this photo in…but we’re all adults here.

I’m baaack!  Oh my.

He then escorted her to his favorite corner of the yard and stood guard, double dog daring anyone to come close.

Look at his eye—he’s crazy in love!

All this love has taken a physical toll on Jasmine.  It’s not easy being the object of a rooster’s affection.  She started molting and has dropped a lot of those beautiful neck feathers.  (She’s probably happy Napoleon doesn’t have as many to grab on to 🙂 )

Looking a little rough around the edges now.

Through all of this, Jasmine seems unfazed.  Maybe she likes being queen to Napoleon’s king. The other hens scatter when a rooster approaches doing his happy-to-see-you dance. Jasmine and Napoleon take a little stroll, couple, and then she settles in while he stands guard.  I don’t know, but it sounds a little like chicken love to me.

(Shared at Backyard Farming Connection, Maple Hill Hop, Tuesdays With A Twist, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Clever Chicks, Simple Saturdays, Farmgirl Friday, From the Farm, Old-Fashioned Friday, Little House Friday, HomeAcre Hop and Simple Lives Thursday)