The Chicken Whisperer

This is Crossbill. Such a creative  name.  Crossbill started out just like all the other cute chicks but her bill did not grow correctly. If you look closely you can see her bottom beak is way off to the side. Poor Crossbill, there is no orthodontia for chickens. I was worried that she would have trouble eating but she has managed nicely, and out of all my chickens, she is the one with the most personality.

Every day when we go out to gather the eggs, Crossbill escapes the coop. We used to fight it but she learned to get past us so effectively that now we just stand aside and let her out.  She likes her daily patrol of the garden. When she wants to go back in, she has taken to wandering up to the house and sometimes looking in the screen door if the the inner door is open. It's her way of letting us know that it's time for her to go home.  I'm posting this even though the sunflowers have been knocked down and eaten by the squirrels and the yard is a mess. The coop isn't one of those fancy schmancy chicken condos you see around blogland. Shoot me. Life is like that.

She cracks me up.  In this instance she decided to take a little look-see out behind the coop before heading inside. She has us trained, and even though she hasn't laid an egg in weeks, what am I gonna do? She's too cute and I'm sure she will redeem herself in the egg laying department soon.  Don't the underdogs (underchickens?) always steal your heart?