A Reality Check

(This is a picture of our beloved Napoleon Dynamite)
Have you ever looked at something for so long that you don’t notice that it has changed or is different, that your eyes have compensated for the different of what is imagined versus what really exists? I believe “you see what you want to see” exists. This often has more to do with overlooking flaws or faults or felonies of new boyfriends. Women, you know what I am talking about.

We recently experienced this very thing. We bought two week-old female chicks about 4 months ago at the same time we bought our pretty little silver-laced Wyandottes. All of these little birds were pretty flighty, (no pun intended) and we didn’t really get a chance to know them. It is hard when they freak out upon approach to warm up to them.

When this batch of youngsters was big enough, we moved them in with Napoleon Dynamite and his 2 girls, Elba and Josephine, and the two Plymouth Barred Rocks, Laverne and Shirley. Napoleon’s girls are not the friendliest creatures on earth and subsequently we have heard lots of squawks from the new girls as they were being taught the pecking order.

Over the period of 4 months we did observe that one of our 2 black Austrolorps (black Australian Orpingtons) was different than her sister.

• She was getting significantly larger than her sister. I couldn’t understand why, but wasn’t worried because some of the Marans are larger than others. Then I noticed the bigger one was getting a little aggressive. I wonder why?

• We noticed she was growing some pretty tail feathers. Why would that be happening? She had a large comb and waddles, but then so do some of the red sex-links.

• One of the roosters had forgotten how to crow and sounded like a new teenager testing out his shouting abilities for the first time. How could Napoleon or Jericho forget how to crow?

One day last week, I realized that because I had been expecting to see a hen, I WAS seeing a hen. WRONG. It turns out that we have a very large and beautiful ROOSTER.

We lost a daughter and gained a son...all without benefit of surgery or marriage! Bruce and Sheila Austrolorp are happily adjusting to life. Bruce is testing his, um, equipment much to the consternation of the other girls in the enclosure.

I wish I could say the same about Napoleon Dynamite. He comes out of the coop in the morning for breakfast, but is now spending most of his time up on his perch. He is either mopping or saving his bacon by staying out of the way!

We have brainstormed for the best solution (move Napoleon and his brood into the larger quarters with everyone else, or move Bruce and Sheila) but have come to the conclusion that a slightly depressed Napoleon is better than a dead Jericho, with whom either Napoleon or Bruce would fight to the death. It is really better left alone. We’ll keep you posted.

(I will pass on words of condolences to Napoleon should you wish to write)