Buffy

Buffy--Buff Orpington. 
Born August of 2011.  

Our biggest, most affectionate hen.  She loves to talk, be cuddled, and sung to.  If I'm walking around the yard examining plants, veggies, and so on, she'll often follow me...issue some hen chattering...and then I'll feel a DOINK! on my shoe.  It took me a long time to figure out this was her way of saying, "I want to be held. Now!"  And once I pick her up, she's perfectly content. This past year we had some dramatic drops in fall temps and for some reason Buff's health also took a dive.  On top of that she just seemed, well...depressed.  After a warm bath and blow dry, keeping her indoors and separate from the flock a couple of days, holding her in a wrapped towel, and using a syringe to give her water--she recovered.  The lesson for us was this:  in sickness or in health, in hot weather or cold, Buff needs consistent affection.  She loves dust baths, and in the coop she'll run everyone else out (except Little Red) and then make them all wait a loooong time for a turn.