Today, Chocolate must have sensed something in the air.  He came over to me and I decided to pick him up.  I held him for a little while.  He was docile.  He nuzzled his warm comb, face and beak underneath my chin.  I could feel little breaths of air from his nostrils.  I decided we needed to take a walk.

I grasped him under my right arm, all 3 pounds, and we were off.  We started looking for birds in the yard.  He loves to do this.  He loves to give them a warning and scare them off.  We looked at the snow and ice patches.  We talked.  I told him about his potential fate.  We eventually sat in a rustic cedar chair on the front lawn.  We sat for a long time, looking at me as I spoke.  He was calm.  I think he enjoyed the warmth of my lap.  After a while, he heard his girls.  I decided to bring him home.

As we walked over to the coop, Chocolate and his girls were talking back and forth to each other.  When I placed him on the ground at the entry of the run.  They all came over, even the tormented little Silkies and welcomed him back.  I realized that they do love him and he is part of their family.  Soon enough,  he was back in the run calling the girls over to share his tasty finds. 

I think this is going to be harder than I thought.