Yesterday was a rough day in our world of roosters.
It seems that our beautiful white roosters have fought and fought until they have
turned themselves pink.
The pink is the result of blood stains.
You might remember that months ago we moved one of our roosters into one of the
henhouses because the others were picking on him.
Then, weeks later a second rooster defected and joined the henhouses....
where he has remained since then.
All that remain in the house by the barn are two roosters who bunk with the turkeys.
And until yesterday these two spent their days visiting the upper henhouses during the day...
returning to their own house in the evening...
seemingly content.
At some point, however, that nasty awful testosterone kicks into gear,
turning sweet teenage roosters into angry, over-sexed maniacs...
who are willing to fight at the drop of a hat...
not to mention the floggings they dish out if one looks at them sideways.
Roosters....
beautiful birds,
but, seriously...
more trouble than they are worth.
Ask any hen and she will agree!
"Men! Who needs 'em!".... I've heard from many-a-hen.
Ultimately, I am not sure what our solution is.
Solitary confinement is not a fun life,
but then neither is mortal combat.
And although we have never resorted to turning our chickens into dinner...
there is a soup kettle simmering right now...
all it needs is the meat.
(And in case you are reading this, Maggie and Macy,....I am only kidding.)
On a more positive note... the wooden egg solution seems to have worked.
There were no broken (cannibalized) eggs in any of the henhouses yesterday....
a first in many weeks!
Comments
2 were suppose to be hens (according to the seller). We had bought about 14 chicks.
2 came from someone whose niece had gotten them as Easter chicks. I took them from her to give them a country home.
Eventually both pairs started fighting. We kept one in with the hens. Move the other 3 to separate dog kennels. Which we already had from our beagle days.
That's where they lived until their time was over. But, believe me....many a time, my husband would walk by them and say "chicken and dumplings". I would tell him they would taste horrible.