Snow Hens - [Fearsome Critter]

Bunyan's Chickens - [Fearsome Critters] - [Latin: Gallinaperplicatus johnrobinsi] -(aka: "Snow Hens", "Cold Hens", "Sawdust Silkies")

• About this Critter: Ol' Paul imported a grand flock of 8000 chickens to his camp on the Big Auger River; They were a special breed imported from China. Pauls men where mighty fond of "hen fruit" and eggs were used in preparing all sorts of dishes made by the cooks (especially the gigantic flapjacks, of course.) So Pauls men built a coop of a grand design; The roosts where so tall that they went right up to the ceiling, it would often be nighttime again by the time the poor hens that slept up top reached the ground..

When the camp eventually moved their farming operations back to the big rock candy mountains; a few of these hens began to act coldly and refused to nest anywhere but outdoors in the cold winter snow they began to lay only hard-boiled eggs! The eggs which Pauls hens laid where so big that it took seven chickens working together over 3 shifts in order to lay just one!!! These eggs where so massive that they had to be bent down the middle in order to fit through the kitchen doors.

When the chickens feed supply's where low, one of the cooks decided to try an experiment; he mixed sawdust with their grain; and although the additional fibres seemed to increase the egg yield for a little while, after about a week or two of being fed nothing but saw dust, the poor hens began to lay wooden knot holes instead of eggs. - In the end, Ol' Paul found it cheaper & easier to grow eggplants instead. A weaker lumberjack gathered the these 'plant eggs' every day.

• History: The earliest mention which I could find of Paul Bunyan farming "Snow Hens" was a single line by James Stevens in 'paul bunyan' 1925, mentioned along side several other barnyard critters  - (though there is evidence of earlier yarns dating back to 1920 at least!) the line goes as follows:

"...The snow hens for example, would lay only in the winter time; they made their nests in the snow and laid none but hard-boiled eggs..."

[The full description of Pauls farm in the big rock candies. from 'Paul Bunyan' 1925. ]

Without a doubt, this was likely a reference to the 'hens that lay soft boiled eggs' from the popular Folk Song: "In the big rock candy mountains." The popular song was about a hobos idea of paradise, first published in 1928, sung by Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock (1884-1957) a wanderer who claimed to have heard it years earlier as a kid & cleaned up the tune from there, others later took the song, changed and adapted it further. - [The song has a long history of copyright disputes & controversial lyrics that I wont go into today.] - [A Bonus fun fact: 'The big rock candy mountains' are often said to be somewhere in Utah, Colorodo, Washington, Idaho(& even Canada) have locations which use the name. Perhaps i'll cover some of these locations in a 'Cigarette Tree' bonsai sticker later on...]

...Back on topic, about 25 or so years later, another more popular yarn about 'Bunyan Chickens' was included in [Charles E Brown's 'flapjacks' 1941]  – Charles version of the yarn goes as follows:

"BUNYAN CHICKENS – Paul brought a flock of chickens to his camp on the Big Auger River. His men were fond of hen fruit, and many eggs were used by the cook in preparing other food. The chickens, which were a special breed imported from China, did very well. When the supply of chicken food was low, the cook experimented with mixing sawdust with their grain. It seemed to increase their laying. Then this chef fed them only on sawdust. After a week or two of this sawdust diet, the fowls still laid; but they laid knotholes instead of eggs. In the end Paul found it cheaper and easier to grow eggplants for his camp. An infirm lumberjack gathered the eggs from these plants every day."

[a later illustration of the chef dissatisfied holding the "chicken knots." from "Legends of Paul Bunyan" 1947]

Today of course, most don't associate farming when it comes to the lumberjack tales of paul bunyan; but it was quite prevalent in the early tales told. - Naturally, Charle's & Jame's stories where further  embellished & elaborated on by many others. - And so, Pauls farm; including his Chickens, Dairy cows, Sausage pigs, babe & benny the giant oxen, and many other animals found their way into the 'popular' (by which i mean obscure and barely talked about) Paul Bunyan lore for the time. (Its also worth note that unlike the others listed these chickens where NOT gigantic; Just their eggs!)

• Similar critters: it is also worth note that there are quite a few other obscure Avian fearsome critters with parallel folklore: those which nest during the winter, thrive in subzero temperatures or otherwise call arctic conditions their homes, these birds are also sometimes said to 'lay/hatch their eggs in the snow' many of these birds also prone to 'sneezing or singing when the temperature drops.' or otherwise 'freeze up in mid air.' - This list of frigid fowls is foreclosed, but is likely not limited to: 

• 'Deep Winter Flying Midget' - A smallish square penguin (or pigeon?) like-bird that lays its square eggs in the snow, freezing cold temperatures cause them to hatch, not warmth. 

• 'Flannel-Throated Golosh." - An arctic bird (or furry fish?) with warm coloured throat feathers (or fur) apparently it flies very, very fast. -(There are also stories of fur covered chickens dating back to 1913)

• Cold birds: 'Geegee-bird', 'Kiri-kiri bird' & the 'Kee-bird' - Cold Birds that cry or sing when the temperature drops below a certain amount: "Gee-gee-zus its c-c-cold!!", "Kiri-kiri-kirist its c-c-old!!", "Kee-kee-kee-ripes it’s c-c-cold!” etc, usually spoken about in old birding books and notably once by military personnel.

• 'The Cross Feathered Snee' - Another frostbitten bird, said to only exist in subzero weather near Montana. It is said to have a low noted, mournful cry, similar to that of the squonks. It flies with lopsided asymmetrical wings (its feathers are presumably grown criss-crossed because its so cold.) its legs are also uneven so it cannot land properly. Its named the 'snee' because the mere thought of it causes people to --"Achoo!!!"

• ...In a few other, one-off or odd cases the "Milermore", "Goofus Bird", "Pinnacle Grouse" & "Gillygaloo" might also sneeze, or cause fridgid winds, lay hard boiled eggs in the snow or be otherwise said to thrive only in cold climates.

[Art Sticker by @Samkalensky part of my Fearsome Critters Collection of stickers, follow for many more!]