CNN [Chicken News Network] Forest Hill, WV – July 22: After two days of a MoCo 4-H Camp class titled Chicken Whisperer in which campers learn therapy with chickens and activities with chickens, the leader of the class [me] was a broken woman. In yesterday’s activity, a hen got loose and headed for the underbrush on the steep banks of the nearly flooding Greenbrier River. At least a quarter of the classtime was spent gently herding the chicken up the bank. (Tip: A chicken can NEVER be caught with gentle voice and slow movements, taught in the class, one must pounce quickly at the moment of truth.) Today the chickens were restrained by four feet of soft rug yarn tied to their leg. Campers tied the other end to their shoes. Not one chicken got loose. However, the activity, “finger” painting by chickens had unexpected results. Picture this: a chicken who just had her feet dipped in blue tempura paint trying to fly, flapping at the end of a yarn leash like a kite soaring, spattering blue paint all over teacher and camper. Tomorrow: Photos of chicken art.
