Chickens, Everywhere Chickens

I took Red's picture in the chicken coop because otherwise he wouldn't let me get close enough to get a good shot of him.
He's healthier now and back to his old rooster ways, chasing hens and having a gay old time. The speckled rock hens are so different from what I expected, they remind me of the dinasaurs that chased Sam Neil et al across that open field in Jurassic Park. They are the long leggiest chickens with these big loopy tails almost like Red's. (I'll have to post some pictures of them soon.) His was green though and theirs are speckled of course. His tail still hasn't recovered.
They are more pets than barn animals. They let me pet them and reach under and grab eggs without raising a feather.
I'm getting a lot of eggs from them now that the "specks" are producing. Keeping them and the wild birds fed is not cheap. Red keeps them home for the most part, although he does have his 'favorite'. I have no idea what makes one hen more attractive over another. They all look like little fat hens of all kinds of breeds. Fancy is not a factor. I have the Americanas and he treats them just like the others he's not so hot on.

Update June 9, 2010

A lot has happened since I last posted to this blog. A cat killed 7 of my chickens by just wringing their necks. It almost killed Red but I got to him and saved his butt by taking him into the kitchen, washing as much blood off as possible and putting him on a heating pad and covering him with towels.
I really thought I might lose him. He didn't move for 2 days. I felt him to see if he was responsive and breathing. He finally woke up and then it took a couple more days before he left the confines of the plastic trunk I'd borrowed to put him in. It was pretty funny having a big ol' Red rooster walking around the house. I had to finally take him outside (although I really didn't want to) but the house started to smell like a barn.
2 1/2 months later after being successuflly returned to the pen, he crowed for the first time. What a beautiful sound.
A friend bought 6 speckled rock chicks 9 days old to replace the 7 that were killed. I think they are starting to lay now. I got a little pullet egg out of the nest today. Production is coming back.
Been busy with the election here in Hot Springs and haven't spent as much time doing this as I wanted to so maybe now that it's over (until November !)...
More later