Shiloh Acres
Ridin' The Range
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2010
- Messages
- 232
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 59
This would probably fit better on BYC. but I post more often here.
I just got back from putting up all the animals and evening chores and I realized Dumpling wasn't at the coop.
I got a mixed group of chicks from a local farmer, and one of the
was kinda strange. He was much bigger than the others and naturally dominant over the flock. He was oddly colored too and obviously NOT a black Australorp as he was supposed to be. I actually thought he was perhaps a mixed breed and determined that as soon as I found out he was a rooster I would slaughter him, since I didn't want a crossbred rooster. So, I named him Dumpling. He stood out from the group and was the only chicken with a name.
The day came when he started to crow (the first one to crow in fact out of almost twenty cockerels -- I got a bad ratio!). So one day I put him in a cage to feed him up and hopefully he wouldn't be too tough (the last time I butchered a rooster he was inedible).
His longer feathers came in more and suddenly I realized he wasn't a crossbreed at all. In fact, he was a huge, gorgeous Marans rooster. So, Dumpling was spared. I set him free and he quickly took over the job of chickenyard monitor.
I've never had a rooster do such a fine job of it. At only 3-1/2 months old, he was diligent to make sure everyone, especially the pullets, got into the coop at night. He watched me like a hawk, LOL, never challenging me but I guess making sure I didn't mean harm to his girls. He broke up any and all fights and always protected the girls. One night there was a snake hidden in the coop and his ruckus and for once keeping the girls OUT let me know about it.
He was shaping up to be a great little (well, big already in fact at less than five months old) rooster.
Tonight there was some scuffling in the chickenyard as the went into the coop. A Buff roo was mercilessly coming at an Australorp roo that I caged yesterday as the next chicken dinner. I thought it was because that Australorp was such a bully before, which is why he's next. But when I saw Dumpling wasn't there escorting them in, I think it's probably because the social structure will probably crash without him to maintain it.
I'm gonna miss him. That was probably the best roo I've ever had, and he was just getting started. He probably met up with something in the course of defending his flock. Which is what he's FOR of course, but I sure am sad to see it happen.
Part of me is hoping he's out there just a little too injured to make it back and that he'll recover and show up in a few days. But the more practical part of myself is worried, wondering what got him and thinking about the fact that it now knows where my chickens are, and there's no more Dumpling to defend them.
I'm sure one of the other roos will step up, but I had hoped to keep a couple of the nicest for breeding. I'm going to hate it if I lose them too, or any of my too-few pullets.
Maybe having twenty or so extra roosters around isn't so bad after all. Then again, without Duming around to keep them in line, I bet I won't be saying that in a day or two.
I'm really gonna miss having him out there.
I just got back from putting up all the animals and evening chores and I realized Dumpling wasn't at the coop.
I got a mixed group of chicks from a local farmer, and one of the
was kinda strange. He was much bigger than the others and naturally dominant over the flock. He was oddly colored too and obviously NOT a black Australorp as he was supposed to be. I actually thought he was perhaps a mixed breed and determined that as soon as I found out he was a rooster I would slaughter him, since I didn't want a crossbred rooster. So, I named him Dumpling. He stood out from the group and was the only chicken with a name.
The day came when he started to crow (the first one to crow in fact out of almost twenty cockerels -- I got a bad ratio!). So one day I put him in a cage to feed him up and hopefully he wouldn't be too tough (the last time I butchered a rooster he was inedible).
His longer feathers came in more and suddenly I realized he wasn't a crossbreed at all. In fact, he was a huge, gorgeous Marans rooster. So, Dumpling was spared. I set him free and he quickly took over the job of chickenyard monitor.
I've never had a rooster do such a fine job of it. At only 3-1/2 months old, he was diligent to make sure everyone, especially the pullets, got into the coop at night. He watched me like a hawk, LOL, never challenging me but I guess making sure I didn't mean harm to his girls. He broke up any and all fights and always protected the girls. One night there was a snake hidden in the coop and his ruckus and for once keeping the girls OUT let me know about it.
He was shaping up to be a great little (well, big already in fact at less than five months old) rooster.
Tonight there was some scuffling in the chickenyard as the went into the coop. A Buff roo was mercilessly coming at an Australorp roo that I caged yesterday as the next chicken dinner. I thought it was because that Australorp was such a bully before, which is why he's next. But when I saw Dumpling wasn't there escorting them in, I think it's probably because the social structure will probably crash without him to maintain it.
I'm gonna miss him. That was probably the best roo I've ever had, and he was just getting started. He probably met up with something in the course of defending his flock. Which is what he's FOR of course, but I sure am sad to see it happen.
Part of me is hoping he's out there just a little too injured to make it back and that he'll recover and show up in a few days. But the more practical part of myself is worried, wondering what got him and thinking about the fact that it now knows where my chickens are, and there's no more Dumpling to defend them.
I'm sure one of the other roos will step up, but I had hoped to keep a couple of the nicest for breeding. I'm going to hate it if I lose them too, or any of my too-few pullets.
Maybe having twenty or so extra roosters around isn't so bad after all. Then again, without Duming around to keep them in line, I bet I won't be saying that in a day or two.
I'm really gonna miss having him out there.