MaeM
Songster
- Dec 9, 2020
- 351
- 1,117
- 216
"Mabelo" was originally called Mabel because he was supposed to be female.
I got him as a 7-day old chick along with a friend who is no longer with us.
(He is the yellow one)
Gosh, when he wasn't sleeping, he was chirping the hell out of himself, but I never knew why he was so insistent. He wasn't cold or hot, he wasn't hungry or thirsty, he didn't miss her mom because he was born in an incubator and he didn't feel lonely because he had a friend to play with. So what the hell did he want?
Like I said, I never knew. I just grabbed him in my arms until he calmed down, like a baby.
Then I slowly realized that he was a bit dumb, but that's another story. (JK)
Before puberty kicked in, "Mabel" was a very sweet "hen".
I eventually realized that I had a boy when "her" wattles and comb started growing way too much. Although I should've noticed earlier - he had very big feet as well.
Anyway, at some point, it was undeniable that he was a rooster. The name "Mabel" didn't fit him anymore, but it had identified him for so long that I just changed it to "Mabelo". (LOL?)
For a long time, I got worried because we already had a rooster, and I didn't want to get rid of one of them.
Luckily, they grew up together so they mostly got along.
So the problem wasn't that I had two roosters, the problem was that Mabelo was very annoying with his mates.
Here he is trying to roll over his fella:
Here he is trying to sit on one of the hens:
Here he is not doing anything in particular but look at his face, he was probably plotting something.
One day I laid down on the grass to sunbathe.
Here's what he did about it.
I'm not going to lie to you.
Mabelo is no longer the sweet chicken that he was before puberty kicked in. I can totally pick him up, hug him, pet him. But he is not a walk in the park, you must know how to deal with him.
He has a personal problem with:
- Shoes
- Strangers
- Shopping carts
- My boyfriend
- The dog, but this is justified, he stole his bread once and Mabelo NEVER FORGETS!
A more experienced chicken owner told me that I'm part of the problem, that I consented him too much... And I must admit that Mabelo is certainly not the kind of rooster that I would have choosen to have, especially as a pet.
But when I sit in the backyard and he comes to me, when I talk to him and he stares at me like he is listening, when I hug him and he relaxes in my arms... I just can't regret it.
I'm weak for that fluffy butt.
And I really can't complain of him as a rooster.
Here he is guarding one of his girls:
Guarding her when we had to put her in this dog's house due to an illness:
He also guards the house and is willing to make noise at the slightest sign of danger. Some of you may think "wow, how annoying" but one time he made a lot of noise because he saw a guy walking on the neighbor's roof... So there are some advantages
Ending this post with the latest pic of this ball of feathers that I call Mabelo.
I got him as a 7-day old chick along with a friend who is no longer with us.
(He is the yellow one)
Gosh, when he wasn't sleeping, he was chirping the hell out of himself, but I never knew why he was so insistent. He wasn't cold or hot, he wasn't hungry or thirsty, he didn't miss her mom because he was born in an incubator and he didn't feel lonely because he had a friend to play with. So what the hell did he want?
Like I said, I never knew. I just grabbed him in my arms until he calmed down, like a baby.
Then I slowly realized that he was a bit dumb, but that's another story. (JK)
Before puberty kicked in, "Mabel" was a very sweet "hen".
I eventually realized that I had a boy when "her" wattles and comb started growing way too much. Although I should've noticed earlier - he had very big feet as well.
Anyway, at some point, it was undeniable that he was a rooster. The name "Mabel" didn't fit him anymore, but it had identified him for so long that I just changed it to "Mabelo". (LOL?)
For a long time, I got worried because we already had a rooster, and I didn't want to get rid of one of them.
Luckily, they grew up together so they mostly got along.
So the problem wasn't that I had two roosters, the problem was that Mabelo was very annoying with his mates.
Here he is trying to roll over his fella:
Here he is trying to sit on one of the hens:
Here he is not doing anything in particular but look at his face, he was probably plotting something.
One day I laid down on the grass to sunbathe.
Here's what he did about it.
I'm not going to lie to you.
Mabelo is no longer the sweet chicken that he was before puberty kicked in. I can totally pick him up, hug him, pet him. But he is not a walk in the park, you must know how to deal with him.
He has a personal problem with:
- Shoes
- Strangers
- Shopping carts
- My boyfriend
- The dog, but this is justified, he stole his bread once and Mabelo NEVER FORGETS!
A more experienced chicken owner told me that I'm part of the problem, that I consented him too much... And I must admit that Mabelo is certainly not the kind of rooster that I would have choosen to have, especially as a pet.
But when I sit in the backyard and he comes to me, when I talk to him and he stares at me like he is listening, when I hug him and he relaxes in my arms... I just can't regret it.
I'm weak for that fluffy butt.
And I really can't complain of him as a rooster.
Here he is guarding one of his girls:
Guarding her when we had to put her in this dog's house due to an illness:
He also guards the house and is willing to make noise at the slightest sign of danger. Some of you may think "wow, how annoying" but one time he made a lot of noise because he saw a guy walking on the neighbor's roof... So there are some advantages
Ending this post with the latest pic of this ball of feathers that I call Mabelo.
