More true stories in Poppa Joe's life Part II "Birdland"
While chatting with another member here, we were talking and I mentioned I was building a chicken run for my neighbors..."You have Chickens?!?!" And then related a warm memory of an egg farm this person's Grandfather had.
The initial answer is "No, but I will be adding a couple to the neighbor's run" and then going on about my affinity for Chinese Silkie Chickens. They are probably the most actually "lovable" chickens one has ever seen and they look very cool.
But raising birds was the point and even those have days logged in to humorous moments in Poppa Joe's life.
I was living in the city, I wanted a pet bird and had a busy lifestyle. Around the corner was a privately owned pet shop that leaned towards the exotic Lemurs, Parrots, Gila Monsters, Monitors...and tons of birds.
I walked in a few times, it seems he was also a part-time zoo for the neighborhood too. Finally, I talked with Roger, the owner. I explained to Roger about my lifestyle and wondered if there was a bird a novice could have that if I killed it for some reason I wasn't out $300.
Roger said, "I have just what you need" and walks in the back. Roger comes back through the curtain and says "$5, start them on this, $4, then to this. Have you got a fenced yard? Ok, let her go"
It was a pure white Silky Chicken we named "Fifi"
...For 3 months I spent every afternoon I could with that chicken. I realized the bird had become attached and would come when I called, trainable? Hmmm....I went back to Roger and bought a couple more Silkies for company for Fifi. Now I had a family, but Fifi still gravitated to me. Scratching and petting were the regular routine and she would actually show affection. So, I got a brainstorm and went on my secret mission to see just how well I could train Fifi.....as it turns out she would almost let me do anything and she learned quickly.....Fast forward to the last week of October and my wife says "What are you going to do for Halloween?" She thought my choice was boring until......I started answering the door for the kids as a pirate..complete with a silkie chicken on my shoulder wearing an eye patch. But alas, my wife had to pin a handkerchief to the back of my jacket because I forgot to train Fifi to tell me when she needed to use the bathroom.
My reign of the neighborhood chicken man ended about 6 months later when I got a literally heartfelt note from the Dept. of Agriculture inspector telling me how much he liked my family but, I can't keep chickens in the city. He followed up with me a few days later and suggested a farm north of the city that would take people's farm animals and treat them well....he was correct and Fifi and company found a home.
This didn't stop my bird penchant and I graduated to a Cockatiel, and then a Conure, then someone asked if I would take their parrot...which was actually a Monk Parakeet or also known as a Quaker Parrot. His name was "Paco"
I went to visit and look at the bird, she had him from a chick and taught him an incredible vocabulary 100's of words and phrases...and such a warm personality. The owner was a young woman and on her way to their first child, she was in Miami but had the Hollywood version of a NY Jewish accent..."So I says to her, I says Sophie, don't botha with these schmucks, marry a docta" She even threw in an "Oye Ve" in our conversation.....I said all that to say the bird spoke with the same accent. She also had a very sociable neighborhood too....I had more than one person walk into our house because when they knocked the bird would answer in her voice "come in!" He was on my shoulder and started crawling down my back.."HEY!" and the bird replied "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, get back up there"
The piece of cake came when I came home from work one day and the bird was walking around the house, I started to nuzzle with my wife on the couch when the bird walked up the couch and came close to our heads just constantly attentive...suddenly Paco starts humming...and the starts making longer moans, by this time my wife and I are giggling between kisses, a little more kissing and Paco is standing on the back of the couch yelling "Oh, Oh, Oh Jeezus! Oh my God! Agghh! Agghhh! Aghhh!" That was it...we lost it!
The next day....I called the previous owner "Love the bird, he's doing really great...One question, Where did you keep the bird?"
"Oh, I've always kept him in my b.....OH MY GAWD!"
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This is second in what will be a series of stuff that I have witnessed in some years....more to come from different subjects.
Great story Papa...I remember the photos of the Chinese Silkie Chicken. Very cool looking, I'd never seen one before.
Keep the adventures coming, very enjoyable.
Thank you so much! They're even cool when they get caught in the rain...their "poof" turns in to punk spikes.
Now that I would love to see...
LOL, too funny. The first Punk Rockers...