The Funny Farm

OMGosh! I just found out today that this year’s batch of chicks have grown up to be roosters NOT layer hens like they were supposed to! While I was feeding, a couple of them were trying to crow. One finally squawked a half decent “cock-a-doodle-do.” When I entered the henhouse I caught another one trying to “cock-a-doodle-do” one of my old biddies. She was completely confused and offended, having believed she would live and die a virgin. I googled Rhode Island Reds and armed with a pretty good picture traipsed back out to the chicken yard. Alas, it was as I feared! At least five of the ten are he’s not she’s and we think the other five might be also. I should have expected such a thing. This year has been a crazy one here at the farm. Everything has been inside out. First, we find a week old orphan kitty that seemed to come from nowhere (it doesn’t match any of the cats or other kittens around). Then, we find that one of our barn cats gave birth in a dove’s nest high in the branches of our blue spruce tree. The trees density of branches made it impossible to get to them. We had to wait for them to come down on their own. (I was glad when my husband discovered them- I had been looking up birds to find out which ones cried like a kitten.) Next, after weeks of bottle feeding our little orphan, she decided to nurse from our Jackie-poo after the puppies had found homes. I think it was a case of mutual need. Mo, who had fathered the puppies and then ignored their very existence, decided that the outside kittens couldn’t possibly survive without his fatherly guidance. As soon as they weaned, he became their sleeping cushion, playmate, protector and all round best friend. If Mo is taking a nap, anywhere or anytime, he is draped by several small black and white cats also sleeping. One of our rabbits gave birth to a litter of two which is unusual. She had five last year. Not only was it strange that her litter was so small but the babies were so big! They looked like they were 3-4 weeks old at birth. Apparently they had more room to grow or something. Our wild cats gave birth to kittens who craved human (and dog) companionship while our more tame cats gave birth to kittens who want to rip our hands off when we try to touch them! My guess is that child rebellion has now spread to the animal kingdom. I guess the signs of the times have even penetrated our private little existence here. The world is topsy-turvy and the animals know it. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?