Guys, I'm thinking that Toby has seen his last winter. I've been thinking about him for some time as he has lost fertility and is slowing down a good bit, but the clincher was when I used the coop for a hunting blind yesterday and saw how much food that boy was putting away!
He was the first to the feeder, pecked any hen that dared eat in his space and was the last to leave, eating like a mad chicken all the while. I had noticed that before but thought he was just particularly hungry that day or something. He didn't used to be that way...he used to stand back and let the hens seat, sorting out any pecking order issues and then he would start to eat last. He's gotten old, fat and lazy...and is consuming enough for 3 chickens.
Time to process that old beautiful rooster and maybe Fannie as well...she hasn't laid an egg since I got her back last year, though one time I thought she was laying, I think it was another bird instead. If my calculations are correct and she is from one of my original flocks, that bird is 7+ yrs old.
I'm thinking these birds are wily enough to evade preds without his warning calls, especially the Honeysuckle Gang, and I'll just use this Sweetums as a rooster for now, though I'm not a real fan of his breed and he's much too mild for the job. I'm thinking a shake up in the flock matrix is in order and I saw some positive changes with the last culling as far as roosting and eating being more calm for the younger birds, so this culling of the old tyrant may be a breath of fresh air for them all.
In any case, I'll save a bunch on feed! Going to cull Toby and Fannie tomorrow morning so their meat can make it into my canning day on Monday.
