This is my chicken Oreo. She is a 3 year old Plymouth rock hen. I have had her (and the other chickens in the flock) since she was 36 hours old. Though this may sound strange to anyone who does not own chickens, my hens are pets. They each have different personalities and quirks, they even have favorite foods! Oreo's favorite foods are meal worms, oats, and blueberries. I love all of my chickens dearly, but Oreo is special. While the other chickens will tolerate being petted and held, Oreo actually craves attention. I loves to be stroked and held, especially by me. She will sit in my lap for over an hour without me even holding her, and when I don't give her the attention she wants, she becomes visibly depressed.
She feels very comfortable around me and trusts me to keep her safe. If I'm holding her when she hears or sees something scary, she will bury her head in my neck and stay there until she feels safe enough to raise her head again.
She (and my entire flock) is trained to come when I call, "Yummies!" She knows she will get food when she hears that so she comes running every time.
Oreo has a hernia which causes spells where she has trouble pooping, her abdomen swells up, and she becomes lethargic. Obviously I become very stressed out when this happens because I love her very much and I worry that she may not survive. But, I have treated her with various medicines and she has managed to pull through every time. She has had the hernia for two years now, exceeding the expected life limit for a chicken with her condition. She has not had a spell in a few months and is active and happy so I'm glad she is doing good and having a nice life.
Thank you for reading about Oreo!
