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.