In Honor of Ginger: Share your Rooster pictures here!

[ChickadeeRanch]

2 handsome fellows!

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

Love the feathery feet

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

My rooster was also a hatchery boy, a little EE that i picked out of the bin at our supply store. He stood so proud and cocked his little eye at me, i just knew he was "my" roo! I bought him and a half dozen RIR hen-chicks. At 3 mo, i had a great coon raid that wiped out my entire flock-except for him. He was the only one who survived. That summer we bonded, and i taught him to come to me and to hop onto a stump to be picked up. That fall i bought him an EE hen, and it was love at first sight. Luckily for me she too bonded deeply with me, and that winter i would go out to the coop sometimes when i was stressed out and they would come to sit on my lap to be hugged.


That little hen stood by him through thick and thin, even after he had been beaten by another rooster, she stood by him and helped him clean and kept him company. I bought other hens the next year, and he turned up his beak! Eventually he accepted the other hens but it was clear that he preferred the company of his little hen. He was a good roo to his flock, always fed them first and watched over them. He also was the nest-maker, they wouldn't lay in a nest until he had "fixed" it right and approved it! He would sing and sing of it and they'd all stand around to see "his" straw nest he had built When the hens started laying for the first time he'd sit beside them and croon encouragement!

Sadly that little hen was never strong, and she got a bad bumblefoot infection that weakened her further, though i treated it. We had record breaking temperatures that were far above average this summer, and sadly her and i both got heat sick. I put her in a bucket of cool water, and nursed her through the night but she was still weak the next morning. We spent a beautiful morning together, her and i and our roo. I tried to separate them so he didn't make advances in her weak state, but she'd not have it. She would only eat with him beside her, and laid her last egg with him beside her and me not far away so she could see. She was so careful with the nest that day, even in her weak state she got out several times to fetch feathers to line it, she never had before! After it was laid she kind of touched it, and "held" it under her belly the way hens do sometimes. The flock free ranged, and it was one of those beautiful days when no one fought or argued, and we took our last nap together in the shady woods on my lawn chair.

That evening when i went to put them away i tried to separate them, again, but she'd not have it. Unfortunately the rooster tried to make an advance and she had a heart attack on the spot. I cried like a baby and held her until the end. That afternoon i made a difficult decision to have DH put down the rooster as well. They loved each other so much, i couldn't bear to see his grief. I buried them neck to neck together.

I miss them terribly, i know i made the right decision for him, but it doesn't make it any easier. This is their baby, that came out of that last egg laid with such love:



She is growing to look much like her sister who hatched earlier in the spring



This was my beautiful hen and roo




My rooster building a nest, and him singing encouragement to my bantam cochin while she layed her first egg
He was very tender towards this little hen as well...........

Wow he sounded wonderful RIP I'm so sorry. go to page 1 you'll find a link to my Roosters story he was like yours my best friend

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My rooster was also a hatchery boy, a little EE that i picked out of the bin at our supply store. He stood so proud and cocked his little eye at me, i just knew he was "my" roo! I bought him and a half dozen RIR hen-chicks. At 3 mo, i had a great coon raid that wiped out my entire flock-except for him. He was the only one who survived. That summer we bonded, and i taught him to come to me and to hop onto a stump to be picked up. That fall i bought him an EE hen, and it was love at first sight. Luckily for me she too bonded deeply with me, and that winter i would go out to the coop sometimes when i was stressed out and they would come to sit on my lap to be hugged.


That little hen stood by him through thick and thin, even after he had been beaten by another rooster, she stood by him and helped him clean and kept him company. I bought other hens the next year, and he turned up his beak! Eventually he accepted the other hens but it was clear that he preferred the company of his little hen. He was a good roo to his flock, always fed them first and watched over them. He also was the nest-maker, they wouldn't lay in a nest until he had "fixed" it right and approved it! He would sing and sing of it and they'd all stand around to see "his" straw nest he had built When the hens started laying for the first time he'd sit beside them and croon encouragement!

Sadly that little hen was never strong, and she got a bad bumblefoot infection that weakened her further, though i treated it. We had record breaking temperatures that were far above average this summer, and sadly her and i both got heat sick. I put her in a bucket of cool water, and nursed her through the night but she was still weak the next morning. We spent a beautiful morning together, her and i and our roo. I tried to separate them so he didn't make advances in her weak state, but she'd not have it. She would only eat with him beside her, and laid her last egg with him beside her and me not far away so she could see. She was so careful with the nest that day, even in her weak state she got out several times to fetch feathers to line it, she never had before! After it was laid she kind of touched it, and "held" it under her belly the way hens do sometimes. The flock free ranged, and it was one of those beautiful days when no one fought or argued, and we took our last nap together in the shady woods on my lawn chair.

That evening when i went to put them away i tried to separate them, again, but she'd not have it. Unfortunately the rooster tried to make an advance and she had a heart attack on the spot. I cried like a baby and held her until the end. That afternoon i made a difficult decision to have DH put down the rooster as well. They loved each other so much, i couldn't bear to see his grief. I buried them neck to neck together.

I miss them terribly, i know i made the right decision for him, but it doesn't make it any easier. This is their baby, that came out of that last egg laid with such love:



She is growing to look much like her sister who hatched earlier in the spring



This was my beautiful hen and roo




My rooster building a nest, and him singing encouragement to my bantam cochin while she layed her first egg
He was very tender towards this little hen as well...........

Our "First Egg Situation" our Roo Roger was beside himself waiting outside the coop waiting like an expectant father of sorts until his Sunny laid that egg. We kicked him out so she could concentrate on laying because she was worn out trying to figure out where to lay all afternoon free ranging. When she finally laid a double yolker--no less--ishe started singing the egg song and he was singing it too. He was SOO concerned all afternoon and then while she was laying. That evening he slept on a lower roost with her. Leaving the more choice roosts (higher ones) to the others. These birds never cease to amaze me.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Wow! See, i was always told how "dumb" chickens were! I was amazed at how smart mine are, and my "egg makers" have gone into being my pets! I never knew that chickens cared so much about each other! Maybe it's a bi-product of us spoiling them? They don't need to focus so much on survival and can just "be themselves" ?

Over and over i've seen the roosters and the hens with their special bond, sometimes just leaning close and giving the deep eye to eye stare. (I've only seen it captured on picture once, but i'm sure someone knows what i'm talking about) My new rooster is just a yearling and he still won't go in to the coop without all the hens, "kids" (which aren't even part of the flock yet) and the banties in first! And i don't know how many times i've fed my roosters only to have them proudly give it to one of their flock...............I used to have to take my rooster aside and hand feed him so he'd even get treats!

During the week that my flock went roosterless things were dire indeed. No one wanted to eat, they were to timid to venture out of their pen; even the bird that hated me let me hold her! I felt so bad i went and bought another roo to take care of them I would have been better off to raise one out of my brood, but i couldn't stand to see them moping! They were very happy to see their pretty new roo and he was very happy to get a 2nd chance

Here is the beginning of a new story, hopefully

 

[DaphneNL]

That sounds so familiair. The night our wyandotte rooster George got killed by a marten protecting his hens, one of them lost it completely. Sitting in the dark in the middle of the run quacking like a duck and stretching her neck like a giraffe. The following days, the ladies were very restless, so we got them a new rooster. They were not amused at first, but accepted him and grew fond of him. But it took some of the hens over 2 weeks to start laying again.

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

That sounds so familiair. The night our wyandotte rooster George got killed by a marten protecting his hens, one of them lost it completely. Sitting in the dark in the middle of the run quacking like a duck and stretching her neck like a giraffe. The following days, the ladies were very restless, so we got them a new rooster. They were not amused at first, but accepted him and grew fond of him. But it took some of the hens over 2 weeks to start laying again.

Sounds stressful for the poor birds!

 

[Chicken Tamer]

No they are 3 and still healthy!!

Thats very good, maybe he got a hold of plastic, Plastic is horrible for birds.

 

[DaphneNL]

Sounds stressful for the poor birds!

It was. I failed to notice a root that was growing from a big tree just outside the run created a small hole underneath the surface of the run. That way the marter got in. My run is now fort Knox.

 

[DaphneNL]

Here are two of my roosters that are still alive and kicking. They are George's son and grandson.

First we have Humberto, brought up by foster moms (3 wyandotte hens raising 2 little chicks, it was adorable) because his real Lakenvelder mom is a true Lakenvelder; she doesn't sit and she's not interested in raising chicks.
Humberto is 50% Lakenvelder and at least 25% Wyandotte. The other 25% is a mix of wyandotte and some Dutch breeds. Dirk is his father.
Humberto is a very caring and kind man, but a bit shy when it comes to humans. He's pretty loud, always talking to his girls.
As you can see he has a bit scaley legs, but we're actively treating this problem.



This is Dirk, at least 50% Wyandotte, and very hard to photograph. Here he's photobombed by one of his Lekenvelder ladies.
Dirk is George's son, and he's a great rooster. Very kind, a very good man to his ladies.