Surprise, Surprise

Yesterday morning as I was tending to chores around the barn,

I heard my roosters crooning back and forth to each other.

Hank started in with his best rendition of "Your Cheatin' Heart..."

Rod chimed: "Wake up Maggie,

I think I've got something to say to you.....".

Elvis crowed back: "Well, it's one for the money,

two for the show, three to get ready, now go cat go.....".

Then way in the distance, up by the house,

I could hear Kenny belting out:

"You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...."

I chuckled to myself listening to them sing to each other...

each belting out a phrase and then quieting to wait for the long distance answers.

This was the first time that Kenny (Rogers) (the youngest of my roosters)

had publicly tried out his voice and joined in with the other three.

So, I hopped in the gator and drove back to the henhouse closest to the farmhouse.

I wanted to witness his first concert in person.

Well, you can imagine my surprise when I watched Kenny puff up his chest and belt out his song,

only to be immediately answered by what I thought was his female counterpart. This chicken answered a tuneful "...you gotta get a little mud on the tires."

Surprise, surprise, I have yet another rooster!!

Meet Brad (Paisley)....my newest crooner.

This last batch of chicks that arrived in August had two surprises, or so I thought. For months I had assumed that the two turkens in the group were my two surprises. And then Kenny started to crow a few weeks ago. So I again assumed that I had an extra surprise. Now I come to realize that I have yet another surprise.....Brad. He is a lovely little rooster and he gets along fine with Kenny, so far.

So, the count is up to five. Five roosters and four henhouses. Elvis is the luckiest one of all of them....he reigns over two henhouses that open into the same yard. At some point I may have to do a major rearrangement. But for now, I will just enjoy the music!