Guest post by Sherie Bradley
We finally had our own place….with acreage! I couldn’t wait to get some chickens. There was a shed in the backyard that my husband had dreams for, but I was secretly making plans to turn it into a super coop. I already had my ducklings growing like weeds at my mom’s property and now we needed to get some chickens to complete the picture. I love birds of all kinds. People don’t think of birds as pets because they don’t see them as cute or cuddly. I don’t necessarily cuddle my chickens, although my children love to, I do love how they all have such unique personalities. They are quirky, silly, and inventive. I could sit for hours on my back deck watching my birds scratch, peck and run around.
So one day I was on Facebook and found a lady not too far from us that was advertising some Brahma pullets. I LOVE the Brahmas; they are so regal and magnificent looking in my eyes. Anyway, I messaged her and we set up a meeting place. When we got there, we bought 2 Buff Brahma pullets and a La Chantecler pullet. I hadn’t ever heard of that breed but I thought she was pretty and looked very similar to a Buff Orpington, another breed I like, so we decided to take her as well. Being somewhat inexperienced, I didn’t think to ask how she knew they were pullets or if she had a return policy. We got our babies home, got them set up in an old water tank in our kitchen with a heat lamp … am I the only one who raises chicks in their kitchen??
Watching them mill around and peck at the shavings I was thinking to myself that we were off to a great start!! Fast forward a couple of months and it was warm enough to move them outside. A few days later I noticed one of the Brahma’s started crowing….okay so now we have two hens and a rooster. That’s fine, we can handle that. Then one very sad night, our birds got out of the doghouse they were sleeping in and an owl got both of our Brahmas. All that was left was my poor little La Chantacler pullet. So my mom offered me two of her older Barred Rock hens to keep her company until we could get some more pullets. My daughter loved this little pullet and because she was a French Canadian breed, we decided to name her Fifi.
Fast forward to April in Colorado; things are blooming and the weather is finally getting warmer. I have more pullets in my kitchen. This time I got some Americaunas and some Light Brahmas. They would eventually mature to be beautiful black and white hens, and my two brown Americaunas are just as pretty but more on the petite side. Outside we have finally converted my husband’s dream shed to my super coop. (told ya I would get my way), and the two Barred Rocks, who we call both Henny Penny because we can’t tell them apart, are living with Fifi. Everyone is getting along beautifully and my mom will soon be bringing my beloved ducks over to add to our flock. One morning, I am walking out to the shed to let the girls out when I hear the unmistakable crow of a rooster. At first, I stop and start looking at my neighbor’s house.
I know they have chickens too and that must be their rooster. I let my girls out and start cleaning the water pans, spreading the scratch on the ground, etc. I walk over towards the gate and Fifi comes running to me. Actually when I think back on it, he….yes I said he….wasn’t running TO me but AT me. He took a flying leap at my leg and started his little feather dance around my feet. Well, I’ll be darned…you aren’t a hen, you’re a rooster!!!
Well, now I guess I will have a rooster after all. However, we decided to continue calling him Fifi just because we are used to that now. Things are going well, he crows almost constantly but he learnt not to dance at my feet or jump at my legs after much chasing around the yard and coddling him in our arms. Life is good and we are enjoying our birds. Did I mention my daughter has an irrational fear of roosters?
My daughter was attacked once by my mom’s Bantam rooster. There weren’t any injuries, except maybe a mild scratch on her leg but he ended up cornering her outside my mom’s barn one day and we heard her dramatic screams all the way at the house. When we got to the barn she was standing on top of a spool and Sparks, the rooster was doing his little dance around the bottom of the spool. We held in our laughter, rescued her and soothed her fears, but she has been terrified of roosters ever since. Fifi turned out to be no different, and I swear that bird knew it!!! Every time my daughter went outside, Fifi would come running for the fence at the sight of her or just hearing her voice.
Before we separated the chicken yard from our backyard, my chickens would come and peck at my sliding glass door as if they were asking to come in. When my daughter would get home, she would sit at the dining room table to do homework and Fifi would come running to the deck, and start pecking at that back door just waiting to get a piece of her. Whoever said chickens are dumb animals has never met Fifi. He could zero in on my daughter regardless of where she was located outside, so we ended up having to fence in the chickens and not let them free range just so she could feel comfortable outside.
We tried everything we could think of to get those two used to each other. We would catch him and make her hold him; have her pet him, feed him treats but nothing ever worked. He wouldn’t actually try to attack her or anything very often but he always came running and she would run from him. I think the funniest thing though is how that bird knew when she was at that table in the dining room and he would get on the deck and stay there until she was no longer at the table. I even tried telling her maybe he just loved her so much he wanted to be with her, but she wouldn’t believe me.
So we ended up finding Fifi a great home with someone who just adored him. This gentleman actually cradled Fifi in his arms when he picked him up and cooed to him like a baby. Fifi then rode in the front seat of his truck for the 10 minute drive to his home and now has another flock of hens to watch over. We thought we were rooster-less until I decided to add some Bantams to our flock and we now have two up and coming roosters!! I think we will try to find great homes for them and we are considering getting her a bantam Cochin rooster she can hand raise and hopefully get her past this because, although roosters aren’t necessary, I would really like to have one with my hens. I’ve also found from experience that the Cochin roosters tend to be very mild and sweet-tempered. I know my male Ancona duck, King Henry, would probably disagree with me though.
What rooster stories do you have to share? I would love to hear them!!
5 Comments
I have a Cochin rooster and 12 hens (of 4 different breeds). Rooster is very protective of his hens. He has attacked me twice, but I put a small bucket over his head and backed him into a corner and kept him there for a few minutes.Rooster decided to stay away from that little bucket. Rooster hates my husband, he will come running right into the fence, twice he tried to use his spurs on my husband, forgot about the fence, and ended up hanging upside down with his foot stuck in the fence. My husband had to go inside the fence, and untangle him. Rooster then struts away, fluffs up his feathers, and tries to act like nothing happened.
They say you can put him under your arm backwards and tote it around for ten minutes and he will stop doing that
So many places I see Ameraucanas mis-spelled and the error seems to be perpetuated. We sing their praises but do wrong by them. We like it when people get our names right, let’s start calling them by their correct name. Not Ameri-caunas, but AMERAU-canas!
I have never had a mean rooster perhaps I have just been lucky. The sweetest rooster is the one I now have who I have named “Sweet Pea” After Popeye’s child. His dad was a Black Copper Marans and his mom a white Silkie. I believe his dad has some Black Tail Buff Marans genes as all the roosters he produce were Black Tailed buffs including Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea was a slow learner and was mounting the hens backwards in the beginning; I was tempted to rename him “Wrongway” After the Pilot from an episode of Gilligan’s Island. Sweet Pea does live up to his name as he is a very affectionate rooster who takes finding food for his hens seriously. Sweet Pea is about 4 lbs with heavily feathered feet (5 toes) and legs but unlike Silkie Roosters he can fly well as he has normal feathers. His flock consists of 2 silkie hens and 2 Black Copper Marans hens. He crows about like a sikie Rooster; not too loud or often compared to a Black Copper Marans Rooster which I rehomed due to his 10 ft radius of deafness; The distance from him that required earplugs!
What a funny rooster story and a beautiful bird. We had a rooster Ernie (of Bert & Ernie fame) and he decided I was one of his hens and I ‘d better toe the line. He use to come after me and I started carrying a walking stick when I went outside. I use to beat the ground and yell, “No Ernie!” to keep him from getting to close. He also “attacked” a friend little boy and my husband best male friend. It was time for Ernie to go. I later learned that Rhode Island Red roosters need 10 to 12 hens to keep them comfortable. Now I know!!