This being America in 2020, and social media being social media, a piece yesterday re-counting my fury at Zinnia and Bud for nearly killing our White Hen, a sweet being,  did not pass without challenge and disagreement.

This is the good kind of argument, mostly, although it did seem strange to me. It was a bracing discussion of the interior lives of chickens and dogs, and one man even related the incident to Black Lives Matter movement and the racial protests spanning the country.

Weighty stuff for a hen, a Lab and a Boston Terrier.

The human attachment to animals is rich turf, even when we’re talking about a poor aging hen who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and nearly paid for it with her life.

Nothing is simple in our world or clear cut, all of the world can come into the personal decisions and experiences of everyone. I do ask for it, and I accept it.

My favorite post was from Curtis, who suggested that it might have been the chicken’s fault, he thought she may have started it all.

He said he’s met some tough chickens in his day.

Me too, but the White Hen is not one of them. She is industrious and quiet, has never caused any trouble unless you call eating grass and flower seeds trouble.

I confess to wondering what it might look like if the White Hen had “started it,” perhaps she taunted the dogs and called them sissies and wiggled her butt at them in contempt.

That would have done it. Even Zinnia has some pride.

There was also Joan, who was upset that I would even have thought of whacking the dogs with a walking stick I was holding to save the hen, even if I didn’t do it.

Imagine her response if I had done it.

She said she wasn’t happy with me today.

(I think I would have whacked one of them if they were going after the hen’s neck, which Bud was beginning to do. I don’t think I could have stood by and watched that.)

I responded to Joan in my usual gracious and easy-going way (see below).

You can follow some of the comments and my responses here:

Joan:  Disappointed that you would have hit them with a stick. They are dogs and follow their instincts. Not very happy with you today.

Me: That’s too bad, Joan… I ‘m sorry to tell you that I am not seeking your approval…I have instincts too, and I don’t recall seeing you in my back yard while this happened. My instincts  cause me to not stand idly by while another animal in my care is mauled by my dogs.

She didn’t deserve to die like that.

I guess we will both have to try to deal with the fact that we are not happy with each other. I’ll be okay.

__

Curtis:  I think the dogs are guilty… Did you see how it started?  Maybe the chicken was to blame, I’ve been around some tough ones. This is a lot like what is going on in the world now ( peaceful protests are all well and good.) But when the wolf’s get the sheep all stirred up bad things could happen. I understand you got mad at them because you have elevated them to live by your standards. But they can’t always.

Me: I’m not into doing chicken psychiatry, Curtis, and it doesn’t matter to me if they started it or not, whatever that means, I don’t want the dogs killing the chickens, period, and it’s my job to train them not to do it.

I don’t see the dogs living by my elevated moral standards. They don’t write much, eat Jean’s Place egg n’ cheese sandwiches, or take good photos. And I don’t lift my leg in the yard, chase chipmunks and squirrels or eat rocks and donkey manure.

I’ve trained dogs before not to kill chickens, and I will do it again.  It isn’t that hard if you stay with it. I should think a true chicken advocate like yourself would want them to not be mauled while the humans responsible for these animals pondered everybody’s motives. Sometimes, you just have to move.

Curtis:  What (I) think it means is understanding what went on. Why do you think they wanted to hurt the chicken? Was it fear, anger, or jealousy, or just dogs doing Wrong? Maybe they are not happy or don’t feel love. I don’t believe that to be true from reading the love and caring in your stories.

Me: Curtis, I’m sorry, but I am not a chicken or dog shrink, and cannot intuit their motives.  I am not one of those people who claims to know what his dogs think. Some of the most important words in my life are “I don’t know.”

Anyone who claims to know what a dog is thinking is confusing their own needs with science.

My dogs have often chased one or the other of the hens without any provocation at all. It’s what dogs do, dogs are hunting and killing animals, especially working dogs, they are not furbabies or human children.

The dogs were behaving naturally (what other way is there for dogs to behave?), but there are many natural behaviors we don’t allow. They take dumps anywhere they want in nature, but not in my house.  They love to chew on table legs and sofas, we don’t permit it. They love to have sex, we neuter and spay them. They don’t need to kill our chickens.

Our chickens are fat and happy with a protected heated roost and gourmet snacks and meals several times a day (courtesy of Maria mostly). My wish for you is that you and all of humanity have as good a life as they do.  I do not love the chickens, but I do feed them a half cup of mealworms every single day, just to make them happy.

And Maria and I saved the life of one yesterday. It feels good. Chickens rarely catch a break like that.

I appreciate your advocacy for chickens.

So I don’t know what the bottom line is in this discussion.

I guess dogs will be dogs, and chickens will be chickens. I’m happy one of ours is out there pecking away at Maria’s seeds while I write this.

(Do unloved chickens taunt dogs?)

For my money, this story had a happy ending.

White Hen photo by Maria.