Gideon's Got a Girlfriend! Gideon's Got a Girlfriend! She Isn't Pleased!

[sumi]

I'm with you there! I had a roo once, you probably won't remember, but it was him in my previous avatar as a newborn. He was a house chicken and I was crazy about him. He was the sweetest thing, until he hit his teens. Typical teen he was sweetness one moment, nightmare the next. He started biting me and kicking me so bad, I had to watch every time I went outside! And nothing we did stopped him or changed his behaviour. One day he went for my old hen and she got stuck in the fence. I used one hand to try and free her and the other to keep him away from her. My hand and arm looked like I took a cheese grater to it. Needless to say he went to a good home soon after!

I read the first 2 Zane threads. He was so beautiful and those pics of him with the chicks are priceless!

 

[speckledhen]

Your poor hen! No way that one would have stayed here after that. Some are just not redeemable. Zane was a love. I wish he'd been able to take over after Hawkeye died, but he was a blessing to us, no matter what. He deserved the best we could give him and he was just the most cheerful, loving rooster in spite of his situation.

I hope Gideon is half the man his daddy is. He has some big spurs to fill.

 

[sumi]

That hen's called Henpecked, as she always got bullied. I've had her about 5 years now and I'm not sure how old she is, but she's still laying when she's not broody. She's running around with chicks that she hatched out in February already! And she can do a stink eye like Tiny's any day!
Being so close to my roo, Stinky, made his behaviour much worse. But I have another roo now that I'm close to. He is just great. Loving, good with the hens, good flock watcher... All round good boy.
Zane's story made me really sad, but it was such a lovely story. He was an amazing character, that's for sure! I wonder what he died off in the end? Must've been horrible for you.

No warning, no time to say goodbye.

 

[speckledhen]

I am very happy with the way Zane went. He was crowing and cheery like any other day. I'd much rather he have gone suddenly of a heart attack than become ill or be attacked and us have to decide to put him down. We would have had to call someone to help because I know we couldn't have done it. He was just more than a rooster. I can't even explain him, but he was an old soul. I miss his warm "smile" and the way he'd wink at me or throw himself against my chest for a hug. There has never been one like him and I can't imagine having that with another rooster, though Isaac and Suede seem very attached to me.


Oh, Gideon pics from today. He's getting more red in the saddle area, and other places.

 

[leadwolf1]

Gideon is one beautiful rooster!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you!

 

[sumi]

He's a handsome boy! Like the beard!

I had one chicken that was so special to me, like Zane was for you. We only had her for 5 short months, from March to August last year. Her name was Joy and she lived it, and gave it endlessly. She loved being picked up and carried around in DH's pockets. I went crazy on more than one occasion, looking for her, only to find her in his pocket! She was so tiny. She just didn't want to grow, no matter what we tried. Whenever I sat down she'd come to me and hop, letting me know she wants to sit on my lap, but she couldn't jump high enough. She lived in the house with us and she was so spoiled! But so sweet. And she made these cute little sounds, when she was happy. And she was, right 'till the end. I knew she was leaving us and had a day and half a night to prepare. I was glad to have that, though it was very very hard for me.

 

[speckledhen]

Aw, she is so sweet! We've had some chicks with issues we tried to save. DH calls them "Pocket Poopers", like this one:

 

[sumi]

Pocket poopers!

Love it!
I don't think much could be done for Joy. I posted on here just before she went, she had these little fits and went completely purple in the face. No-one replied to my thread, I suspect no-one knew what it was. A stroke perhaps?
Her mom was a part-time broody. She was hatched half by mom, during the night hours, and the heat of the day. She hatched out 5-6 weeks after this strange incubation started. We had a few chicks from that batch, over a 2 week period, but most of them didn't make it. For some reason I didn't remove the eggs... then when I thought it was really all over Joy came along. I was so shocked when I looked in the nest and saw the egg pipped. I helped her out under the heat lamp and said to DH "If this one makes it, I'm calling it Joy"
I miss her so much...
I'm getting sad now. How's the Tiny terror? Recovered from the indecent assault?

 

[RedDrgn]

Ah, so you have a terrorist cougar in your flock!

Gideon is gorgeous; that big white beard and red splashes mixed make him quite the distinguished looking gentleman.