This week's email from the farm...

<em>I love my chickens and my chickens love me - especially when I feed them.</em>

<em>I was checking for eggs in the nest boxes this morning when one of the black hens started moving hay from one next box to the other. I guess she is the designated interior decorator.</em>

<em>Meanwhile, Essie (short for Survivor Girl from the Christmas Eve massacre at Barneyville) follows me around the whole time I am in the chicken yard.</em>

<em>In fact, I have accidentally stepped on her before. That hasn't stopped her. Anyway, she hopped up on the door to the nest boxes and watched the redecorating process.</em>

<em>She is the only chicken we have who will let you pet her. I guess I now understand how people can have pet chickens. But, she’s not coming inside. Already tried that with Einstein and look where it got him.</em>

<em>I know that is shocking to you, but this made me think of a song.</em>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>I have a chicken my chicken loves me</em>
<em> I feed my chicken on tender leaf tea</em>
<em> My little chicken goes bak bak bak</em>
<em> My little rooster goes cockle doodle doodle
doodle doodle doodle do.</em></p>
<em>Anyone else remember that one?</em>

I did remember the song, but had no idea who wrote it or when. After a quick Google search, I discover Arkansas folk singer named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeda_Riddle" target="_blank">Almeda Riddle</a> (1898-1986) was the first to publicly sing “My Little Rooster.”

Also known as Granny Riddle, her acapella recording of the song appears on the 1997 cult film "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119237/" target="_blank">Gummo</a>.” If you’d like a listen click below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtbPk5NsEQA?rel=0&amp;w=420&amp;h=315]

If you’ve got a preschooler or kindergartener, gather them up to the computer screen and have a watch of this more pleasant sounding variation. They’ll love it.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvaaBB_UhMQ?rel=0&amp;w=420&amp;h=315]

Chicken Wrangler Sara isn't singing, though it could be her. She is a professional musician and music teacher. It’s exactly the sort of thing she’d do.

Well, on second thought, maybe not. She'd probably bring Essie so the kiddos could pet a real chicken and sing!

YOUR TURN: I’m sure we have you humming the "I love My Rooster" tune by now. If you don’t have a rooster or a chicken or a pig or a cow or a …, what would you substitute for rooster in the song?