By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributor
Jean Davis is an author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and a children’s picture book about a chicken.
Davis’s passions for writing and raising chickens and ducks collided last year. The Holland resident had signed up to attend a festival to sell books, but one of her chickens wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t want to leave Millie alone so she packed up the ailing chicken, along with her books, and took her to the festival where she could keep an eye on her.
“I was surprised at people’s excitement at seeing a chicken,” Davis said. She added that one person told her it made their day to pet a chicken.
Before the book, you need a chicken with a good story
Davis realized having a chicken drew people to her booth and gave her an opportunity to talk about her books. Book sales increased.
Millie’s health improved but she wasn’t happy going to shows. Another chicken, Laya, was more social and Davis trained her to wear a harness and walk on a leash. She regularly accompanied Davis to her weekend gigs.
Several people asked Davis if Laya was a character in one her books.
“No, but it’s a good idea,” she would tell them.
But Laya didn’t have a story. “A good story needs conflict and Laya had a happy life. There was nothing to write about,” Davis explained.
The chick that needed a home
The two-month-old chick had been hatched in an incubator. She was smaller than the other chicks and had a leg that didn’t develop properly. The healthy chickens in the flock picked on her, which is what chickens do.
But fate soon brought Davis a chicken with a story. Her niece saw a post on Craigslist regarding a disabled chicken who needed a home with someone experienced with handicapped chickens.
After a lengthy discussion with the owner, Davis agreed to give the chick a home. She was surprised at her size. “She fit in my hand. She was the same size as a one-day-old duck.”
She named the new family member Kay-Kay after her niece, Kaylee, who had brought the homeless chicken to her attention.
Kay-Kay is a Silkie, which is a breed of chicken named after its fluffy plumage that feels like silk. Silkie’s feathers don’t have “teeth” so they don’t weave together. Instead they are fluffy.
“It looks like a feather explosion on their head,” Davis said. She has to give Kay-Kay a haircut so people can see her eyes.
Silkies are cuddly, calm and love sitting on laps. They also interact well with people, which make Kay-Kay the perfect companion at shows.
A chicken who needed a chick
Kay-Kay arrival coincided with a chicken raising a duckling.
Davis lives in a residential area where roosters are not allowed due to their crowing. Therefore, she never has baby chicks. But it is okay to have male ducks since they aren’t noisy like a rooster.
One of her Silkies, Henifer, often gets “broody” meaning she wants to sit on eggs. When that happens, Davis puts duck eggs under her.
All is well until mama Henifer tries to teach her young hatchlings how to be chickens.
“Henifer gets frustrated raising ducks—they can’t jump or roost,” Davis said. They also won’t scratch in the dirt looking for food.
Henifer just happened to be raising a duckling when Kay-Kay arrived. Davis put the chick under Henifer.
“She took her over like one of her own,” she said. “Henifer had a chick to raise and I finally had a chicken with a story.”
A story is hatched
Davis wrote a children’s book about how Kay-Kay found a new family that accepted her with her disability. Davis revived her watercolor skills, which had been shelved for 30 years, to illustrate the story.
Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken was released May 6 and is Davis’s 14th book.
Kay-Kay, who now weighs one pound, two ounces, accompanies Davis to her book events.
“It’s amazing how many people love chickens,” Davis said.
Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken can be bought on Amazon and other online retailers. In addition, it can be purchased at jeandavisauthor.com. Davis’s schedule is also on her website if you are interested in meeting her and Kay-Kay.
Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.
