Squint through the wire to see a chicken with courage "second to none and the intellegence of almost one". An old gamer term, it fits this bird perfectly.
The peanut butter bait had already been stolen by a crafty raccoon, and Antonio just barrelled right into the trap and stepped on the trigger plate. He probably entered it to get closer to the roosters he loves to tease. The door crashed down and he was trapped right where the other chickens could see him and laugh chicken laughs at him. Bad plan, Antonio.
When we found him, he was stomping from one end of the trap to the other. Hackles out, he was fuming at his situation. The mighty free ranging "roo" was caged. Probably didn't help that I was laughing, too. When his hackles are up, a rooster looks like he's swallowed a feathered umbrella which opened on the way down his gullet.
You'd think Antonio would come out of the trap when the door was opened? No, he scrambled to the other end to get away from Art. Perhaps tilting the cage would encourage him along in the right direction? No, he went into the far corner and held on while Art shook the cage. Chickens on a slanted surface will prefer to go "up", as I recall. Finally Art tipped the trap completely upside down and the combination of gravity and energetic shaking dislodged Antonio, who ran shrieking into the goat pasture.
No doubt psychologically scarred by his experience, Antonio will avoid the live trap next time, even if the peanut butter is still there.
Helene
I think the trouble is that Antonio doesn't think
ReplyDeletethat he's a chicken. But then, maybe he doesn't think at all(rypical male)
Mrs. Hang
I would have to agree on your analysis of Antonio's brain power, which is sadly lacking.
ReplyDeleteWe ate raccoon #1 tonite;she was delicious.
Antonio would be pretty stringy and tough by now!
Helene