Hamilton ~ Silent But Deadly

Hamilton ~ Silent But Deadly

September 27, 2020

(Hamilton in front of the coop!)

The Rhode Island Red breed is generally a docile breed. However, it does not make the top 10, because when with other breeds of chicken, the Rhode Island Red tends to be aggressive. Rhode Island Reds are a beautiful lustrous red. Their legs are yellow. The hens lay brown eggs. Roosters are mostly aggressive with territory. We have a Rhode Island Red hen. She is, shall we say, "silent but deadly".

Hamilton has always been a quiet hen. She claimed the role of head hen from the day the pullets arrived. Her method has always been the old classic "be seen and not heard". She challenged every pullet and won every time. But quietly. Ever so quietly. You barely ever hear a peep out of Hamilton! 

She is very fierce though. Instead of squawking, she will flap in the other hens' faces. Hamilton can be unkind to the other hens, but she is very docile toward us. And oh, I forgot to mention: She loves perching! She won't let you hold her. Instead, she will keep trying to climb onto your finger and perch on it. She enjoys perching to the depths of her little chicken soul! 

Lafayette has been trying to move up the pecking order. He beat Angelica, as well as Eliza. He tried over and over to attack Hamilton. Lafayette will puff up his head feathers and get ready to charge at her. As soon as he struts over to her, Hamilton will walk coolly past him, give him a firm peck, then waddle away. Lafayette will look surprised, then go and cry in a corner of the coop. 

Finally, I had to give Hamilton "The Talk". For those of you who don't know what "The Talk" is, let me tell you: Basically, I told Hamilton, "Hamilton, there is a time in a hen's life...when she must submit to a rooster". And so, eventually, Hamilton did just that. 

Long story short, Hamilton is now right-hand hen to Lafayette. We all knew she never stood a chance against the mighty Lafayette. Yet, she is still quiet. But fierce. Ever so fierce. Like I said, she is "silent but deadly".