Chicken Magnolia

Our small backyard rests under the canopy of a star magnolia tree. It is the first thing to bloom, after it grows buds over the winter.

Our domesticated chicken comes from the Asian jungle fowl. Knowing they naturally perch in trees, and observing Clucky the Skinker-DeBaliviere chicken sleeping in the Bradford Pear across the street from our home, I anticipated our backyard chickens loving this beautiful tree.

They didn’t take to it right away, so I built them a ladder, a couple lower perches, and a chicken swing. Our home chickens never fell for my gimmicks.

Then, I brought Rube home. He’s a surprise rooster of ours. When he started crowing, he no longer could stay on the farm, we need to keep on good terms with our neighbors behind us.

He is a big wuss of a rooster, running from anyone and anything. He quickly found refuge in the magnolia tree. And then Emmi joined him. Then Barge, another surprise rooster, Punk Ass, a couple Reds, and Sumner now, too. As the other chickens find their way onto the limbs, Rube climbs higher and higher to get away from them. Watching all the chickens perched in the tree at night makes my heart glad.