Yeti is a silkie rooster who looks like a very handsome and huggable little Muppet.
But don’t let his plush, fuzzy exterior fool you.
As I croon to him sweetly and he bobs his head at me curiously, I anticipate us having a cute little moment.
Yeti swiftly proves me wrong.
He stomps his impossibly fluffy foot before launching his ferocious attack on my hand. He grabs onto me with his cute little beak, hops on like he’s ready for the rodeo, and starts kicking my stunned hand.
I chuckle, of course, because it’s immediately clear that he’s a spunky roo with lots of opinions, and I have not yet gained his official seal of approval.
However, his fussiness only emboldens me to make a lasting impression on him.
So naturally...
I scoop him up anyway.
His little perplexed “brr, brr, brr, brr...” settles as I tuck him snugly under my arm. With Yeti securely at my side, his little feet dangling, he watches me replenish his delectable food (properly topped with mealworms, of course), make sure his water is fresh, and place his mat aside so I can hose off his night of debauchery later before replacing it with a fresh one reserved just for him, like all of our ambassadors receive.
After our little jaunt and tour of the sanctuary, Yeti is ready to head back to his hale.
I chuckle again as he simply watches me place his food and water in the perfect spot for him to reach.
I can’t help but notice something.
The murderous attempts from the beginning of my shift are gone.
Many of our chickens come from all kinds of backgrounds, and in some cases, their histories remain a mystery. But I know how important it is to keep showing up for Yeti and all of our rescues. To show them that human hands don’t always have to mean danger.
Sometimes...
They can mean comfort.
Care.
Safety.
And maybe, one day...
Friendship. 
With lots of chicken love,

Sydney 
Board Secretary | Trooper’s Chicken Rescue