BON SECOUR, Ala. — Why did the chicken cross the road?

In this case, it was probably following 4-year-old Regan Blackwell.

See, the chicken follows the girl everywhere, like a dog. The chicken does some unchicken-like things for the girl: rides around in a Barbie jeep; allows itself to be carried around in a little purse with its chicken head poking out; wears a necklace if the girl decides to dress it up like a doll; allows itself to be covered up if the girl takes a nap. The chicken has even been seen lying on its back with the girl.

Regan is the daughter of Bubba and Jamie Blackwell, he the high-flying motorcycle daredevil and stuntman. In Bubba’s business the word “chicken” doesn’t exist, but he is amazed at the bond between his daughter and the chicken.

“The chicken never seems to mind this kind of attention,” Bubba said recently of the activities his daughter puts the chicken through.

“This one chose Regan - she raised it,” he said of the Serama chicken, who came to them as a chick.

The Serama is a Malaysian breed reputed to be the world’s smallest chicken. The Blackwells got the chicken from Regan’s grandfather.

“She just took a real liking to us,” Bubba said of the chicken, whose name, by the way, is “Spring” — as in “spring chicken.”

As Bubba puts it, his place in Bon Secour is a great place for animals, thanks by and large to his wife, Jamie. They have four horses, a few barn chickens, a half-dozen or so rescue dogs, some ducks, cats and even a wayward parrot who just showed up one day in Bubba’s workshop. But it isn’t too much to say Spring chicken rules the roost.

“She’s a mainstay around here,” Bubba said, noting that on those occasions when Spring comes in the house there is a showdown of sorts with the “inside” cat. According to Bubba, when Spring wearies of the confrontation she takes off after the cat and the cat backs down and skedaddles.

Bubba notes that when they gave Spring charge of some big chicken eggs to set on, her instincts kicked in. “She would run you off if you got around the eggs,” he said.

But apart from surrogate motherhood, Spring is the chicken that allows Regan to do whatever she pleases. “She carries (Spring) around like a doll,” Bubba said. “Everybody who sees Spring can’t believe how laidback she is.”

Bubba said he has even placed the chicken on his shoulder and walked around as if Spring was a parrot.

The connection between Regan and Spring is about more than just human and animal bonds. Bubba said raising Spring has been a learning experience for his daughter.

“It has taught her a lot of responsibility as well. She has surprised us,” he said.

Regan has also had a hand in raising ducks and sold nine of them. That has also been a learning experience for Regan, he said.

What are the chances of Spring chicken ever being sold? No doubt Regan Blackwell would say goose egg.