Romeo and Juliet

I have a pair of crippled chickens, Romeo, a lavender orpington that I hatched from eggs sent to me from West Virginia, did not walk right when he came out of the egg. As he grew, his condition worsened, his legs are very weak so he sits a lot. At first I worried and wondered what to do with him, then, seeing him adapt to this, I decided he was handicapped and I would provide the best life I could for him.

Juliet was a big, black hen who was injured by an over exuberant rooster, I moved her into an apartment by herself and, over the course of a month, healed enough to get around but she walks like Igor.

Neither leave the coop much, it's just too much trouble and they naturally gravitated toward each other for company. Juliet still lays a blue egg every few days and life was good.

Enter Chet, the Speckled Sussex rooster who rules the roost.

 

After a few years of living in harmony, Chet suddenly decided that Romeo was a threat to him and must be taken out. Romeo could not defend himself and when I found him beaten up, I put him and Juliet in a pen by themselves.

 

There was a problem though, come winter, I'm going to need that pen because the chickens spend so much time shut up.

 

Enter my sister, Rosanne, who finally got some young hens of her own. Could Romeo go live at her house and be the master of her flock? Yes he could and did.

 

But, Romeo was not happy there, the young hens didn't like him and he didn't like them.

 

Back at home, Juliet hid in the corner of the coop, bereft and lonely.

 

Back at Rosanne's, Romeo quit crowing, hardly ate, even his comb was drooping, something had to change. 

 

I brought Romeo back home and put him and Juliet in their pen together. I went out later to gather eggs and shut the door and heard a strange sound. I realized it came from their pen and listened. Juliet would croon to the rooster and when she quit, he would respond, "Dak, dak, dak."

 

They missed each other.