Brewster the Rooster fights the snake!
I am having a lot of problems with uploading pictures and using this program to put information on this site.
However, that is not the issue today. I want to tell you a story about Brewster the Rooster. Our very first rooster. One day my neighbor came by to tell me that there was a rooster in her friends yard and would we come to see it and please take it. We went. There in the neighbor lady's yard was a very brilliantly colored rooster with a triple pea comb. He obviously was loaded with personality because he strutted up to us just beyond our reach. The he puffed out his chest, fluttered his wings and crowed long and loud. Then he stopped..looked squarely into my eyes as if to say, this is my place and you are an intruder..get out! Needless to say he was hard to catch. After we got him home we quarantined him for a few days to observe him and make sure he was not sick. He seemed depressed after I put him in the cage...so much so, that he did not crow in the morning..I thought that was strange. After a couple days it was obvious he was in good health and the ladies found him attractive as they sat all around his cage. We let him loose. His behavior was not like the other roo's I had seen. He did not want any human contact. He would not go in the hen house at night. He did not charge out and jump on any of my hens. First he strutted and fluttered one wing down his side circling different ladies. Almost as if he was introducing himself. After his second day of freedom he had gathered about 12 hens in his harem. They followed him constantly. He would search out tasty little treats such as crickets and he would dig for worms..the ladies adored him. At night, he would round all the ladies up and after they were all safely in the hen house he would stand by the door until I came out and locked it. Then Brewster would fly up into his Pecan tree and roost for the night. Even if it rained he would not come down! I would climb up a ladder and place my umbrella on the branches above him.
Finally, he chose one hen, as his favorite. Ester Sue, my oldest Rhode Island Red. Ester Sue carries herself like a queen. She established the pecking order with the other hens early on. Ester was not as fond of Brewster as the other ladies were. She stayed away and went on her own ventures as usual. Brewster would watch her and then circle her and Ester ran to me and jumped on my lap. It was hilarious the way she looked at me-panic stricken with the feathers on her head standing straight up! All he had done was flirt with her! I protected her, of course. After a couple more days, I noticed that Ester Sue was not running from Brewster anymore. They were sitting under my rose bush together! I watched as they walked around together chirping and chattering to each other in a language all their own. Brewster would hunt for treats but he gave them only to Ester. The other hens would try to get his attentiion but he loved Ester Sue. After a month, my little Ester looked ragged her feathers were ruffled and she was starting to molt. She no longer desired Brewsters attention. Every time she seen him she would jump in my lap and screech out..aaawwwwwww..aaawwwwww!. Brewster would circle around me, trying to flirt with her. When I reached out to him..he ran away. Soon he sought out the other ladies and they were happy to be with him. I watched as he courted different ones..taking them for walks and finding them treats..but he would always look over their heads at Ester Sue who sat contentedly on my lap...watching him!
One day all of the hens were gathered around Brewster as he was tempting them with a cricket and chirping at them, "Come and See! Come and See! A fast sweet sound and the ladies came. All of a sudden they all ran to me and Brewster stayed behind. I looked to see what could be the matter. I had seen him kill mice and rats before and I figured that to be the case this time....not so. Brewster was fighting with a chicken snake! I ran to grab the garden hoe and as I ran toward him I noticed that Brewster had the snakes right behind the head, in his beak and he was jumping in the air trying to stab it with his spurs. I did not know what to do. Brewster shook the snake and I was terrified but hoping he would drop the snake and run so that I could chop its head off with the hoe..not realizing I probably would not be quick enough to save him! I turned and ran all of my ladies into the hen house and then ran back to help Brewster...he was standing there looking at me blood was running from his beak, he was breathing heavy but his head was held proudly and his chest puffed out, looking haggard but almost as if he were smiling!. The ladies ran out of the hen house behind me rushing to Brewster. He was victorious in his battle..he killed the four feet long chicken snake!!! I was amaxed. None of us knew where Brewster had came from when we first got him or what trials he had experience or even how old he was...though we suspected he may have been a discarded Easter chicken..but Brewster had skills that I had never thought a rooster would have. Once again, He was the conquerer. He saved us from that snake! Boy was he proud as the ladies cooo'd over the snake and pecked at it.
I tried to catch him hoping to cage him and check him for injuries...but he was still quite strong but breathing heavily...he flew up in his pecan tree..no catching him there. I looked at the ground as droplets of blood were forming into a small puddle under the tree...I got really scared that Brewster might have some serious injuries but I could not figure out how to get him out of the tree! The sky started to darken and the wind was picking up so I decided I had better get the ladies put up in the hen house and then I would try to get Brewster down. A storm was fast approaching and the tornado siren started to wail. Brewster was about 20 feet from the ground on his favorite branch of the pecan tree. I decided I would try to lure him with his favorite snack Hotdogs..to no avail..Brewster would not come down. I went in the house to get an umbrella because the rain was starting to come down harder. When I returned with the umbrella I tried to open it and it snapped inside out! I went back in the house and fixed the umbrella and grabbed a raincoat. Then I got the aluminum ladder..as I stepped through the gate to get to the pecan tree I grabbed the cyclone fence to push against the heavy rain and wind. I was standing in a puddle of water. Lighting struck and I was paralyzed, holding the ladder in one hand and the fence with the other..I could not move as an electrical current ran through me...I prayed to God that I could have the strength to save Brewster and that the current would let me go. A moment later I was able to move and I continued to push against the wind. I made it and set the ladder up against the tree and it fell several times before I was able to get it wedged in between some branches. As I climbed the wind was blowing harder, Brewster was within reach. He was soaking wet. He did not fight me this time He practically jumped into my arms. I brought him into the house and my husband was standing there..upset that I would risk my life for Brewster's...I thought to myself ..he risked his life for me and my ladies to kill that snake.! As it turned out Brewster's injuries were superficial and all he needed was antibiotics for seven days and some antibacterial cream..the snake had bit him twice but the snake was not poisonous. The wounds were deep and had to be drained.He submitted to my medical ministries until Brewster made a full recovery..the sweet thing was..Ester Sue insisted on staying with him the whole time..even inside the cage! I left the door open and she never left his side. Brewster has made a full recovery and is hunting treats for the ladies as I write this and Ester Sue is right by his side.
I am having a lot of problems with uploading pictures and using this program to put information on this site.
However, that is not the issue today. I want to tell you a story about Brewster the Rooster. Our very first rooster. One day my neighbor came by to tell me that there was a rooster in her friends yard and would we come to see it and please take it. We went. There in the neighbor lady's yard was a very brilliantly colored rooster with a triple pea comb. He obviously was loaded with personality because he strutted up to us just beyond our reach. The he puffed out his chest, fluttered his wings and crowed long and loud. Then he stopped..looked squarely into my eyes as if to say, this is my place and you are an intruder..get out! Needless to say he was hard to catch. After we got him home we quarantined him for a few days to observe him and make sure he was not sick. He seemed depressed after I put him in the cage...so much so, that he did not crow in the morning..I thought that was strange. After a couple days it was obvious he was in good health and the ladies found him attractive as they sat all around his cage. We let him loose. His behavior was not like the other roo's I had seen. He did not want any human contact. He would not go in the hen house at night. He did not charge out and jump on any of my hens. First he strutted and fluttered one wing down his side circling different ladies. Almost as if he was introducing himself. After his second day of freedom he had gathered about 12 hens in his harem. They followed him constantly. He would search out tasty little treats such as crickets and he would dig for worms..the ladies adored him. At night, he would round all the ladies up and after they were all safely in the hen house he would stand by the door until I came out and locked it. Then Brewster would fly up into his Pecan tree and roost for the night. Even if it rained he would not come down! I would climb up a ladder and place my umbrella on the branches above him.
Finally, he chose one hen, as his favorite. Ester Sue, my oldest Rhode Island Red. Ester Sue carries herself like a queen. She established the pecking order with the other hens early on. Ester was not as fond of Brewster as the other ladies were. She stayed away and went on her own ventures as usual. Brewster would watch her and then circle her and Ester ran to me and jumped on my lap. It was hilarious the way she looked at me-panic stricken with the feathers on her head standing straight up! All he had done was flirt with her! I protected her, of course. After a couple more days, I noticed that Ester Sue was not running from Brewster anymore. They were sitting under my rose bush together! I watched as they walked around together chirping and chattering to each other in a language all their own. Brewster would hunt for treats but he gave them only to Ester. The other hens would try to get his attentiion but he loved Ester Sue. After a month, my little Ester looked ragged her feathers were ruffled and she was starting to molt. She no longer desired Brewsters attention. Every time she seen him she would jump in my lap and screech out..aaawwwwwww..aaawwwwww!. Brewster would circle around me, trying to flirt with her. When I reached out to him..he ran away. Soon he sought out the other ladies and they were happy to be with him. I watched as he courted different ones..taking them for walks and finding them treats..but he would always look over their heads at Ester Sue who sat contentedly on my lap...watching him!
One day all of the hens were gathered around Brewster as he was tempting them with a cricket and chirping at them, "Come and See! Come and See! A fast sweet sound and the ladies came. All of a sudden they all ran to me and Brewster stayed behind. I looked to see what could be the matter. I had seen him kill mice and rats before and I figured that to be the case this time....not so. Brewster was fighting with a chicken snake! I ran to grab the garden hoe and as I ran toward him I noticed that Brewster had the snakes right behind the head, in his beak and he was jumping in the air trying to stab it with his spurs. I did not know what to do. Brewster shook the snake and I was terrified but hoping he would drop the snake and run so that I could chop its head off with the hoe..not realizing I probably would not be quick enough to save him! I turned and ran all of my ladies into the hen house and then ran back to help Brewster...he was standing there looking at me blood was running from his beak, he was breathing heavy but his head was held proudly and his chest puffed out, looking haggard but almost as if he were smiling!. The ladies ran out of the hen house behind me rushing to Brewster. He was victorious in his battle..he killed the four feet long chicken snake!!! I was amaxed. None of us knew where Brewster had came from when we first got him or what trials he had experience or even how old he was...though we suspected he may have been a discarded Easter chicken..but Brewster had skills that I had never thought a rooster would have. Once again, He was the conquerer. He saved us from that snake! Boy was he proud as the ladies cooo'd over the snake and pecked at it.
I tried to catch him hoping to cage him and check him for injuries...but he was still quite strong but breathing heavily...he flew up in his pecan tree..no catching him there. I looked at the ground as droplets of blood were forming into a small puddle under the tree...I got really scared that Brewster might have some serious injuries but I could not figure out how to get him out of the tree! The sky started to darken and the wind was picking up so I decided I had better get the ladies put up in the hen house and then I would try to get Brewster down. A storm was fast approaching and the tornado siren started to wail. Brewster was about 20 feet from the ground on his favorite branch of the pecan tree. I decided I would try to lure him with his favorite snack Hotdogs..to no avail..Brewster would not come down. I went in the house to get an umbrella because the rain was starting to come down harder. When I returned with the umbrella I tried to open it and it snapped inside out! I went back in the house and fixed the umbrella and grabbed a raincoat. Then I got the aluminum ladder..as I stepped through the gate to get to the pecan tree I grabbed the cyclone fence to push against the heavy rain and wind. I was standing in a puddle of water. Lighting struck and I was paralyzed, holding the ladder in one hand and the fence with the other..I could not move as an electrical current ran through me...I prayed to God that I could have the strength to save Brewster and that the current would let me go. A moment later I was able to move and I continued to push against the wind. I made it and set the ladder up against the tree and it fell several times before I was able to get it wedged in between some branches. As I climbed the wind was blowing harder, Brewster was within reach. He was soaking wet. He did not fight me this time He practically jumped into my arms. I brought him into the house and my husband was standing there..upset that I would risk my life for Brewster's...I thought to myself ..he risked his life for me and my ladies to kill that snake.! As it turned out Brewster's injuries were superficial and all he needed was antibiotics for seven days and some antibacterial cream..the snake had bit him twice but the snake was not poisonous. The wounds were deep and had to be drained.He submitted to my medical ministries until Brewster made a full recovery..the sweet thing was..Ester Sue insisted on staying with him the whole time..even inside the cage! I left the door open and she never left his side. Brewster has made a full recovery and is hunting treats for the ladies as I write this and Ester Sue is right by his side.
