By: Noelle Moser (Kuntry Klucker)
Many people associate roosters with being aggressive nightmarish birds recalled as the barnyard terrors we encountered on our grandparents' farm. Sadly, roosters are often type casted into this role by an unfair association.
Roosters are amazing creatures and worthy of admiration. Recent breeding methods have changed as the backyard chicken movement has exploded and evolved. The selective breeding methods by many breeders have yielded roosters better suited for the backyard setting. In our grandparent's day when a flock was kept for food, be it meat or eggs, a defensive rooster was needed. However, chickens today are kept more often as pets that have the added benefit of making you breakfast.
The breeding industry has responded, breeding for behavioral trait attributes such as docile, calm and friendly. Breeds like the Polish, Silkie, Cochin and Orpington all are breeds widely available that typically have docile roosters. I have all these breeds and can validate good behavior in all the aforementioned breeds.
Don't get me wrong, roosters have a job to do and they take it seriously, but most backyard flocks have well behaved gents. Sometimes, a rooster can be so well behaved that he is for all purposes useless.
How can a rooster be useless, you may be wondering. Allow me to introduce you to Pantaphobia, the useless rooster.
He is afraid of food:
Pantaphobia is not the fear of pants, its the fear of everything, including pants. As his name suggests, Pantaphobia is afraid of absolutely everything. He is afraid of ordinary mundane things that chickens often encounter in their environment such as bugs. While the rest of the flock can be seen chasing a juicy morsel like a fly or moth, Pantaphobia is often running from these meals to go. Since he is also afraid to go into the coops, this also means that he does not partake of the food readily available in the feeders. He lives on weeds, grass, worms and other morsels that he can find crawling on the ground.
He never hunts for the girls:
One of the necessary things that a rooster does for his ladies is searching for food. A rooster will take it upon himself to actively look for morsels for the girls to eat. Once he finds something of value, he calls his girls over to partake of his hard work. It is by evolutionary design that a rooster knows that the hens need the extra nutrition in order to sustain the flock population. If there is anything left, only then will he eat. A rooster is a self-sacrificing soul, caring more for his hens than himself. He is more concerned about their welfare than his. Pantaphobia is quite the opposite. He spends most of the day occupying himself with hunting for grubs in the grass, but he has no intention of sharing with anyone, including the hens.
He never mates with the hens:
One thing that a rooster is supposed to be able to do very well is mating. In Pantaphobia's case. this too is something that he elects not to participate in. He will never approach a hen with the intent to woo her for a date. He simply ignores the hens and occupies his time looking for grubs to dine on. For this reason he also never gets into many confrontations with the other roosters in the flock. He simply keeps to himself, hunting a pecking his way through the day.
He Never warms the flock of danger:
It is a rooster's primary job to keep an eye to the skies, constantly scanning for danger. While out in the yard with the rest of the flock, it is the other gents that keep watch for any threats. In the event that the alarm is sounded, Pantaphobia will run for cover along with the other hens. He will not attempt to protect the girls from the imminent threat like the other roosters in the flock. He simply runs and hides till the "all clear" is announced.
He hardly ever crows:
If there is one thing that is always associated with roosters, its crowing. Roosters crow for many reasons, to establish dominance in the flock, to check in with the other roosters when free ranging, to warn the flock of danger, and just because they can. Pantaphobia, on the other hand has no interest in this time honored tradition. He will sometimes crow in the mornings as dawn moves over the land, but other than that, nothing. He is the quietist rooster that I have ever had. Early on, I wondered if he was a hen, but nope, there is no question, he is definitively and anatomically a rooster.
So why keep him?
You may be wondering why I would hang on to such a useless rooster. Well, here on The Kuntry Klucker Farm, I allow all my ladies and gents to live out their natural lives. I keep Pantaphobia for the same reason I keep my senior hens that are past the point of lay. All have value. Although he performs absolutely no service for the flock, his is still a delight to watch.
Additionally, he is a a white crested polish, my favorite breed. The Polish's have a habit of being flock comedians, due to the head crests that obscure their vision. Pantaphobia does not disappoint in this department. While the other Polish individuals have figured out what to be afraid of and what not to fear, Pantaphobia has not. While the other Polish members will actively chase after a flying treat, Pantaphobia will run in terror. You have not adequately spit out your coffee till you see a rooster run from a butterfly.
While he may be useless in every other sense of a rooster's role in the flock, he is not a disappointment when it comes to the entertainment value. In this respect, I got my money's worth.
I hope that you enjoyed the story about Pantaphobia. While most of todays roosters are bred for good behavior, roosters come in all personalities. Some roosters are good caretakers of the hens, some not so much. Others can be down right useless in Pantaphobia's case. A rooster is a creature that is worthy of respect and admiration, even those who are a bit of the special needs variety.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Keep on crowing,
Noelle (Kuntry Klulcker)
Many people associate roosters with being aggressive nightmarish birds recalled as the barnyard terrors we encountered on our grandparents' farm. Sadly, roosters are often type casted into this role by an unfair association.
Roosters are amazing creatures and worthy of admiration. Recent breeding methods have changed as the backyard chicken movement has exploded and evolved. The selective breeding methods by many breeders have yielded roosters better suited for the backyard setting. In our grandparent's day when a flock was kept for food, be it meat or eggs, a defensive rooster was needed. However, chickens today are kept more often as pets that have the added benefit of making you breakfast.
The breeding industry has responded, breeding for behavioral trait attributes such as docile, calm and friendly. Breeds like the Polish, Silkie, Cochin and Orpington all are breeds widely available that typically have docile roosters. I have all these breeds and can validate good behavior in all the aforementioned breeds.
Don't get me wrong, roosters have a job to do and they take it seriously, but most backyard flocks have well behaved gents. Sometimes, a rooster can be so well behaved that he is for all purposes useless.
How can a rooster be useless, you may be wondering. Allow me to introduce you to Pantaphobia, the useless rooster.
He is afraid of food:
Pantaphobia is not the fear of pants, its the fear of everything, including pants. As his name suggests, Pantaphobia is afraid of absolutely everything. He is afraid of ordinary mundane things that chickens often encounter in their environment such as bugs. While the rest of the flock can be seen chasing a juicy morsel like a fly or moth, Pantaphobia is often running from these meals to go. Since he is also afraid to go into the coops, this also means that he does not partake of the food readily available in the feeders. He lives on weeds, grass, worms and other morsels that he can find crawling on the ground.
He never hunts for the girls:
One of the necessary things that a rooster does for his ladies is searching for food. A rooster will take it upon himself to actively look for morsels for the girls to eat. Once he finds something of value, he calls his girls over to partake of his hard work. It is by evolutionary design that a rooster knows that the hens need the extra nutrition in order to sustain the flock population. If there is anything left, only then will he eat. A rooster is a self-sacrificing soul, caring more for his hens than himself. He is more concerned about their welfare than his. Pantaphobia is quite the opposite. He spends most of the day occupying himself with hunting for grubs in the grass, but he has no intention of sharing with anyone, including the hens.
He never mates with the hens:
One thing that a rooster is supposed to be able to do very well is mating. In Pantaphobia's case. this too is something that he elects not to participate in. He will never approach a hen with the intent to woo her for a date. He simply ignores the hens and occupies his time looking for grubs to dine on. For this reason he also never gets into many confrontations with the other roosters in the flock. He simply keeps to himself, hunting a pecking his way through the day.
He Never warms the flock of danger:
It is a rooster's primary job to keep an eye to the skies, constantly scanning for danger. While out in the yard with the rest of the flock, it is the other gents that keep watch for any threats. In the event that the alarm is sounded, Pantaphobia will run for cover along with the other hens. He will not attempt to protect the girls from the imminent threat like the other roosters in the flock. He simply runs and hides till the "all clear" is announced.
He hardly ever crows:
If there is one thing that is always associated with roosters, its crowing. Roosters crow for many reasons, to establish dominance in the flock, to check in with the other roosters when free ranging, to warn the flock of danger, and just because they can. Pantaphobia, on the other hand has no interest in this time honored tradition. He will sometimes crow in the mornings as dawn moves over the land, but other than that, nothing. He is the quietist rooster that I have ever had. Early on, I wondered if he was a hen, but nope, there is no question, he is definitively and anatomically a rooster.
So why keep him?
You may be wondering why I would hang on to such a useless rooster. Well, here on The Kuntry Klucker Farm, I allow all my ladies and gents to live out their natural lives. I keep Pantaphobia for the same reason I keep my senior hens that are past the point of lay. All have value. Although he performs absolutely no service for the flock, his is still a delight to watch.
Additionally, he is a a white crested polish, my favorite breed. The Polish's have a habit of being flock comedians, due to the head crests that obscure their vision. Pantaphobia does not disappoint in this department. While the other Polish individuals have figured out what to be afraid of and what not to fear, Pantaphobia has not. While the other Polish members will actively chase after a flying treat, Pantaphobia will run in terror. You have not adequately spit out your coffee till you see a rooster run from a butterfly.
While he may be useless in every other sense of a rooster's role in the flock, he is not a disappointment when it comes to the entertainment value. In this respect, I got my money's worth.
I hope that you enjoyed the story about Pantaphobia. While most of todays roosters are bred for good behavior, roosters come in all personalities. Some roosters are good caretakers of the hens, some not so much. Others can be down right useless in Pantaphobia's case. A rooster is a creature that is worthy of respect and admiration, even those who are a bit of the special needs variety.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Keep on crowing,
Noelle (Kuntry Klulcker)
