- May 18, 2012
- 25
- 1
- 34
I got a call yesterday from a store up the road from my house - "There's a rooster looking thing up here - is it yours?"
I had no idea why she would not be able to identify a hen (I have buffs and a Dominique), why it would be called a
'rooster-looking-thing' - but I went up to make sure it was not one of my hens (who never stray from my yard).
What I saw was a crazy looking rooster looking thing pecking salt out of the middle of the very snowy road.
Cars were not slowing down to accommodate him, and he was oblivious. I walked up to him and scooped him up
as fast as i could so he wouldn't freak out and try to attack me (my four buff roosters were terrors). He did not struggle AT ALL,
and I walked into the store to let the woman know he was not mine, but I'd care for him in case an owner showed up (?).
As I was talking to her, I was stroking his neck - all of a sudden his muscles went slack and his head dropped! I thought he had just died in my arms!
I stopped stroking his feathers and held up his floppy head, and he snapped awake - like "who's that? where am i? huh?"
totally confused. ok - so i took not-the-sharpest-tool-in-the-shed home and warmed him up a bit. he seemed fine,
very very hungry! but fine.
i did not have the ability to separate him from my flock (i know, not responsible of me, but hey - it was impulsive to grab him in the first place). I introduced him to the hens, and they did not seem very phased by his sudden appearance, and continued their foraging. I went back inside, and later noticed i heard crowing from one spot outside - for a long time - like he was stuck.
I went out - moved him to food/water/shelter and he would perk up. A little while later - oops, stuck again. each time i picked him up - stroked his head -
he drops off to sleep instantly!
he spent the night, hens are not super interested in baby sitting him, so they'd wander off - he cant see @%#*! so he is basically stranded until he is lifted to a place where he can get some basic needs met. He is also freezing and shivering like crazy.
i decided to take my narcoleptic guest into my husbands heated shop to warm up a little (he fell asleep instantly again). I grabbed the scissors and decided enough was enough - cut away his ridiculous feathers from his face and let him nap a little longer -
when he woke up he looked around and seemed so excited!
I brought him out with the hens and he fluffed up and made some roostery postures! he is following them around, and even made
an effort to run (not too skillfully, but he tried).
This guy seems healthy enough - but why the hell are these birds still being bred to produce these hazardous head dresses? He
seemed like he was able to move around and enjoy himself for the first time in his life! He looks so happy now!
I hope if his owners show up, they don't freak out about his hair cut, but Im assuming he got dumped here in town unwanted.
My chickens never wander like that, but of course, they are about 10,000 times more intelligent from what I've seen so far.
We're calling him Einstein, due to his appearance and his shocking intellect.
I had no idea why she would not be able to identify a hen (I have buffs and a Dominique), why it would be called a
'rooster-looking-thing' - but I went up to make sure it was not one of my hens (who never stray from my yard).
What I saw was a crazy looking rooster looking thing pecking salt out of the middle of the very snowy road.
Cars were not slowing down to accommodate him, and he was oblivious. I walked up to him and scooped him up
as fast as i could so he wouldn't freak out and try to attack me (my four buff roosters were terrors). He did not struggle AT ALL,
and I walked into the store to let the woman know he was not mine, but I'd care for him in case an owner showed up (?).
As I was talking to her, I was stroking his neck - all of a sudden his muscles went slack and his head dropped! I thought he had just died in my arms!
I stopped stroking his feathers and held up his floppy head, and he snapped awake - like "who's that? where am i? huh?"
totally confused. ok - so i took not-the-sharpest-tool-in-the-shed home and warmed him up a bit. he seemed fine,
very very hungry! but fine.
i did not have the ability to separate him from my flock (i know, not responsible of me, but hey - it was impulsive to grab him in the first place). I introduced him to the hens, and they did not seem very phased by his sudden appearance, and continued their foraging. I went back inside, and later noticed i heard crowing from one spot outside - for a long time - like he was stuck.
I went out - moved him to food/water/shelter and he would perk up. A little while later - oops, stuck again. each time i picked him up - stroked his head -
he drops off to sleep instantly!
he spent the night, hens are not super interested in baby sitting him, so they'd wander off - he cant see @%#*! so he is basically stranded until he is lifted to a place where he can get some basic needs met. He is also freezing and shivering like crazy.
i decided to take my narcoleptic guest into my husbands heated shop to warm up a little (he fell asleep instantly again). I grabbed the scissors and decided enough was enough - cut away his ridiculous feathers from his face and let him nap a little longer -
when he woke up he looked around and seemed so excited!
I brought him out with the hens and he fluffed up and made some roostery postures! he is following them around, and even made
an effort to run (not too skillfully, but he tried).
This guy seems healthy enough - but why the hell are these birds still being bred to produce these hazardous head dresses? He
seemed like he was able to move around and enjoy himself for the first time in his life! He looks so happy now!
I hope if his owners show up, they don't freak out about his hair cut, but Im assuming he got dumped here in town unwanted.
My chickens never wander like that, but of course, they are about 10,000 times more intelligent from what I've seen so far.
We're calling him Einstein, due to his appearance and his shocking intellect.
