Maxine's Big Adventure

Maxine is without a doubt the most interesting chicken we have. Since her first day here she has proved herself to be beautiful, belligerent, and a bad influence on the other hens. She escapes, she flies, she is next to impossible to catch, she is tiny, and generally meanspirited. She absolutely hates to be touched. But she looks like Wild thing so of course we took her.

a few days ago Maxine completely vanished, VANISHED. Without a trace. I searched our property, the property next door and the graveyard, not a feather. We assumed that an eagle or hawk had snatched her. Then last night who should wander up to the house but an absolutely soaked and mud caked Maxine. I didn't think it was possible for any animal to be that dirty! The mud was in clods hanging from every feather.

So I gave my chicken a bath.



Halfway through Darkmirror came in and started taking pictures.

She was docile and just sat there and let me coax the mud from her feathers.
It was even matted into the downy feathers near the skin.

what do you do with a clean but still wet and shivering chicken?
I blew dry her.

Again, she just sat there relaxed, allowing me to work.

While I dried her I continued looking for injuries, one scabby spot on a wing.
several broken and damaged tail feathers.

She doesn't look as magnificent as she once did, but she's clean.
I hoped this new docile a sweet chicken I was holding was a sign that she truly appreciated me.
Once she was dry she tried to peck Nature Girl's eyes out and started squawking..

We'll never know what exactly happened to her.  But our imaginations are running wild.


Oh well.