ROOSTERS

Lets talk ROOSTERS! 

this is papa roo. He is only 2. And I've been making sure he becomes TOP DAWG.

I have a few here.  I love them. I think every farm isn't complete without one. 

Yes, I understand the argument of a rooster crowing in the morning. Some rooster crows are annoying. Mine aren't. Well... not to me. They all have different voices, pitch, tone.  Plus, IF i can barely hear them and my bedroom window is facing the barn yard, how can others say its disrupting their sleep, an acre away.  You get used to it. Or in some cases you're just not a happy person and fixate.  This is ode to the little problem Jupiter Farms had a couple years ago. Rooster crows, neighbor calls zoning, world war lll ensues involves the whole county. Rooster won. 

But let's be clear, to make an egg you don't need a rooster. Hens lay eggs with or without ever coming into contact with a rooster. But the rooster is so much more then that. (and no the eggs do not taste any different, fertilized or not, and the red bloodspots you might see in an egg have nothing to do with a rooster, either). I have come in contact with some who won't eat an egg because it might or might not be fertilized. They taste exactly the same.

Roosters are who the hens look to for guidance. They set the tone of the entire flock and are normally benevolent gentlemen on the farm. A disgruntled, angry, mean, menacing Rooster could be because of the genetics. It's a rarity here. It could be because i love them and respect what they do. I'm also -make no mistake- the top ROO and they know it and nip it in the bud when I might see something starting.

Too many Roo's and not enough hens to keep them all happy, you likely will have issues. I find (not sure why) an uneven amount of Roo's keeps the balance better. 3, 5,7. But have 4? more issues. There are 5 senior roosters here. Each have their own hens and their own area of the yard. They all roost in different places. 

Every one of them is different. Beautiful. Extraordinary. They do and can fight among themselves but chances are its quick and they fix it between them. It can be caused by one Roo trying to steal another Roo's girl. It could be turf related. If ever there is an unrelenting, rank boy, he's gone. Usually, a bit of mind games (with myself inserted in the mix), a day of quiet time in the time-out box, or just a bit of upside down grab, and it's solved. If a fight breaks out its usually a young stud thinking he wants to de-throne the next in line. Rarely, will a young one go after my top ROO. I've never seen Roo's gang up on another. Their fights, if ever, are few and far between. Everyone is also loose, this might have something to do with it. No one is caged, ever. 

Roosters keep the hawks away. I have seen one rooster who will fly up and meet the hawk in mid-air and fight. They are the first on guard when he takes the girls on a walk-about. HE is the LAST to eat, but the first to point out ' look here, a great morsel, come and get it' and then his girls come running. I've seen him pick up a worm, walk it to a special lady and give it to her.  I've watched them make a certain call, and all chickens in the yard drop and flatten. And then another when the 'all - clear' call comes. I watch daily one  Roo as he helps his lady pick a spot in the garage to lay an egg and he will quietly and patiently sit there with her. When she is done he will be the first to congratulate her. When chicks are little they will act as momma, if none will take it in. If a rooster is mean to his girls? guess what? they move on to another in yard. They won't stand for his bullying and that in itself teaches him to be a kind and gentle boy. There are times when one Roo decides he wants THAT girl. But, she's is with another Roo. Then we could have some negotiating going on. One time, it was so important to this one Roo for him to get THAT girl he gave up a prime roosting spot. 

Roosters truly are amazing... You just have to watch them and see....

These are some of my up and coming Roo's. Some of their colors are just amazing. They are mutt's.  The hens are purebred, My Top Roo (above picture) is a Maran, and he's purebred. But, what he produces when he gets another breed of chicken is quite beautiful. 

Each one of these boys below are mutts. I love how flashy they can be. They are all tame and ready to go to a new home where they too can be Top ROO.

This one is just a doll baby, he follows me around the yard and wants to be picked up.