Maybe a year or so ago, the neighbor on the corner got some free range chickens. Looks like he might have had them penned when they were very young, but they've roamed at will since becoming pullets. When I met them, there were 3, and I called them Dorothy (black with yellow markings), Blanche (yellow with black markings) and Rose (a white Leghorn). Since I walk almost daily, I would see them and visit them, and since they live across from a little store in the middle of the neighborhood, people are just part of their landscape, and they're really quite tame.
All 3 were around for awhile, and then I saw Rose about 5 blocks away, living a "spa life" at the home of one of the neighbors. They enjoyed her antics, tolerated her scratching up their mulch, and fed her until she disappeared. I think someone nabbed her :-(. So, then we were down to 2 hens. I have no idea where they lay their eggs, but I do know their favorite sleeping spots. And the two of them were around for months, until Blanche disappeared. Bummer again. I think someone nabbed her as well. No sign of trauma, they just come up missing. Shortly thereafter, one I called Sophia showed up, and was the same size as the original hens. Not sure where she'd been before because she was new on the scene here, but appeared to be the same breed, except reddish. So, Dorothy was happy to be one of 2 until Sophia disappeared. Now it's just Dorothy. I think I'm her best pal....her owner doesn't seem to pay too much attention to the hens, and I've been quite fond of them. Dorothy is the tamest of the bunch, so it's a little bit ironic that she's the only one of that flock left. Dorothy comes down pretty much daily to see if I have any scratch for her, offers herself up for petting, and looks to see if I've freshened her water bowl.
Unless and until her owner gets more chickens, I guess Dorothy will be the only of those pals left. She's always been my favorite and I hope she sticks around.
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