As a farm kid growing up in rural Iowa, I’ve had my fair share of crazy experiences with chickens.<\/p>\n
And let me tell you, those feathered fools will eat just about anything!<\/p>\n
Which brings me to the time my brother Ricky decided it would be hilarious to toss an old leftover hot dog into the chicken coop just to see what would happen.<\/p>\n
Well, those chickens went absolutely bonkers over that mysterious meaty treat! Feathers flew as they squabbled and scratched to get a peck.<\/p>\n
It was like watching a feathered frenzy in the Wall Street trading pit! That hot dog was gone in 60 seconds flat.<\/p>\n
And from that day on, those chickens would come a-runnin’ anytime they spied Ricky heading their way – hot dog or not.<\/p>\n
We had a small flock of about 12 hens and one ornery rooster named Rex.<\/p>\n
Those chickens free-ranged all over our farm during the day, pecking bugs in the yard or roosting in the old oak tree out back.<\/p>\n
But when they spied my brother making his way over to their pen carrying that dodgy looking hot dog, you’d have thought he was the Pied Piper himself!<\/p>\n
Ricky tossed the wiener right into the middle of the pen and chaos ensued.<\/p>\n
Feathers and dust flew everywhere as the chickens scrambled over each other to get to the prize.<\/p>\n
Our mean old rooster Rex shoved his way through, pecking viciously at any hen that dared try to steal his treat.<\/p>\n
One bold hen named Betsy even jumped onto Rex’s back and tried riding him rodeo-style to distract him from his hot dog! Wish I’d had my phone to get that on video.<\/p>\n
In the end, Rex emerged victorious with the entire hot dog swallowed down in one giant gulp. But the hens didn’t walk away empty-handed (or empty-bellied I should say).<\/p>\n
Rex left a trail of hot dog crumbs in his wake that the ladies happily pecked up after the fact.<\/p>\n
From then on, those chickens associated my brother with snack time.<\/p>\n
As soon as he set foot in the yard, here came the chickens a-runnin’ from all corners of the farm!<\/p>\n