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Stoneheartfarm
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Strange Chicken
11/19/02 04:15 PM Attachment
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The wife now has chickens in her coop. So what shows up at the door? This funny lookin chicken!
Actually, he's been running around in the field all year, but just started looking for handouts about 3 days ago. I expect he's somebody's hand raised bird that got turned out last year. We've been throwing him tidbits the last few days because its been so cold and the little fella has a bum foot. Don't know if it was the neighbor's dog or a shotgun, but I figured a couple of days of treats wouldn't hurt. Seems to be working. Three days ago he couldn't get his foot on the ground. Yesterday he was hobbling on the knuckles and today he was actually getting his toes touching. A couple more days and I can quit feeding him. I don't need no pet pheasants.
SHF
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Stoneheartfarm
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He seems to be fascinated with my Truck, and will hurry to get in front of it so I won't leave. And boy, can these guys make a racket!
How close can I get to him? This close...
SHF
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Stoneheartfarm
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I can get so close that the camera won't focus him.
SHF
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Stoneheartfarm
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On the other hand, when you do that, he expects something, too.
SHF
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Stoneheartfarm
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And, here he is admiring my old truck. Of course, it IS a chevy.
SHF
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Hayseed
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Reged: 09/11/02
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Loc: Beach City, TX near Trinity Bay
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Nice shots of a beautiful bird. Can't say as I ever saw one up close and personal in my life...
Chris
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RobS
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Georgeous bird and great photos SHF! You're making the hunters jealous no doubt. I was too on the way home tonight. I glanced over in a field not far from our house and saw a flock of wild turkey grazing on the corn stubble 
Rob
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Stoneheartfarm
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: RobS]
11/21/02 08:44 AM
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I have rapidly learned that you DO NOT hand feed a pheasant.  He will take bread from your fingers without hurting you. The problem is that he was half domesticated to begin with. Now he expects food. And boy, if you don't give it to him...
So, all future feeding will have to be through a feeder set away from the house. He does make a good guard bird though. Anybody can come down the drive. But once you're there, unless you personally feed the bird until he looses interest, you can't leave. He will race and fly to get ahead of the vehicle, plop in the middle of the drive and scream his head off. Makes one heck of a racket. 
SHF
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popeye
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Thanks for the posts on the new addition to the feeding schedule. Please keep us posted on his progress. My wife walked up behind me and I read her your post she loved it.
Mike
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Stoneheartfarm
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: popeye]
11/25/02 04:53 PM
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The bird has, over the past couple of days, taken to chasing cars. Not just racing them. He now chases them both in and out the drive, and trying to attack them. His foot appears somewhat better as he is stating to put the toes of that foot on the round to walk, but he still has a pretty good gimp. He appears to have staked out this field as his own and is chasing the cars to try to get rid of them.
On the other hand, he comes when my wife calls to him, but still won't show up when I whistle. Which is really too bad, because I thought it might be kind of cool to have an attack chicken.
SHF
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popeye
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What did you name him?? He's got to have one by now. Showed your post to the guys at the fire station they loved it.
Mike
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Stoneheartfarm
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: popeye]
11/26/02 06:12 PM
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The wife has named him Phillipe. I don't know why. I voted for spike or butch or something cool. Alas, it snowed pretty good yesterday and no bird. Again today, no bird. It appears perhaps that he is a fair weather fowl. Gosh, I hope nothing ate him! That would be pretty bad if something ate my attack chicken. 
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theboman
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Word of warning. In Kentucky it's illegal to have wild animals as pets without a license, and even though it's just hanging out the authorities may consider it a pet. You may want to give them a call.
Bo McCarty, THE BO-MAN
Bluegrass, Pick It Up!
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popeye
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: theboman]
11/27/02 09:37 PM
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Doesn't seem like it would be any different from a deer coming to a feeder or your garden. Or for that matter birds and feeders. Just a thought. He is not being confined or penned.
Mike
PS Has Phillipe shown back up yet?
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: popeye]
11/28/02 02:05 PM
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right exactly......if the thing got to close to me,I believe it would be KFC time.
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Stoneheartfarm
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: popeye]
11/28/02 06:00 PM
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Bird showed back up yesterday. Dive bombed my truck at the end of the drive and then chased me down the road. Back when the bombing in Afghanistan began, there was a picture circling of a rear view mirror with a jet fighter in it. It sorta reminded me of that picture. Looked in the side mirror and there was the bird, flying along beside the truck, right down the center line. Good thing nothing was coming.
This afternoon I came in and there was the bird lying in the middle of the parking area barely moving and just kinda pecking at the ground. I felt so sorry for him I went and got some bread in violation of the no feeding order. Came back out and the dang bird ran away.  The bum foot seems much better.
This evening I walked to the end of the drive to put up a 911 sign. Half way down, the bird came out of the tall grass and started walking along beside me, like one of those little lap dogs. Then he decided to cross back and forth in front of me. Did pretty good and only slipped on the ice once or twice. (It never dawned on me that birds can slip and fall down.) Got to the end of the drive and I'll be darned if he didn't sit down right in the middle of it and start squawking. Absolutely refused to move, or to let me go any further. Stayed right there while I went off to the side and pounded in the sign. Then followed me half way back to the house.
Michigan regulates hunting of the birds, but a lot of the farmers around raise and release them. The DNR has no problem with it, since apparently they are and are not native. I figure this was somebody's raised bird that maybe got too much attention and wound up really liking people. I've talked to some of the people raising them and they've said the roosters can get pretty odd.
SHF
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popeye
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This afternoon I came in and there was the bird lying in the middle of the parking area
Sounds like you might have interrupted his nap. I wonder if he was a tame bird if he is dependant on humans for food. In that case and I'm sure you've already thought about what about a feeder? I pretty sure you have been adopted like it or not. 
Mike
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Stoneheartfarm
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Re: Strange Chicken
[re: popeye]
11/29/02 03:41 PM
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Yeah, it kinda looks like a feeder is necessary. Although I didn't see the bird again today. I think now that his foot is feeling better he is ranging a little further and only getting back when he feels too lazy to hunt his own food. This time of year I believe he should be eating acorns in the woods and not running through this field, but I may be wrong.
SHF
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rabbitrae90
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Wow thats really cool I have never had something like that happen to me. ( A bird show right up on your yard and follow you around eat out of your hand and Chase cars  ) Thats neat.! and strange...well Say hello for me! 
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