- Aug 3, 2009
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I wanted to share the story of my 6 month old special needs Black Langshan rooster, Lurch.
I could tell very early on that he was different-he had an odd kind of look about him that I couldn't put my finger on. He had a very odd gait(hence his name) that looked neurological in nature to me.
He matured and developed so very slowly that I'm sure many people would probably have culled him. I sort of resigned myself to the fact that he probably wouldn't live very long and I wanted him here with me where I knew he would be taken care of and not left to languish.
He kept plugging along, yet seemed very isolated(probably by the flock). At about 5 months old, he could not sit on a perch, he fell a lot, couldn't run well at all and try as he might, he could not get those giant wings of his to work properly. I would sit outside many days with tears in my eyes and watch him, alone in the pasture, doing what I called "practicing" flying, running, etc. I was so afraid he would never be what he was trying so hard to be, a rooster.
One day last week, I opened the coop door and he didn't come out-I peeked in and there he was, perching. It was like he was waiting for me to see him sitting there so proudly on the perch before he came outside.
In the last week, his progress has been AMAZING. He now crows(and it's pretty darn good) and makes other big rooster noises, he is now flying into the nest boxes(which I thought he would never be able to do-still can't figure out why he is doing that) and he can flat out run! He has begun to very clumsily try to romance the ladies(doing a very bad version of the wing dance) and doing the "hey, come see what I found" noises. He actually has a couple of girlfriends! He WILL NOT allow himself to be pushed around by the other roosters anymore-he stands up for himself(of course, he does still come running to mom if he gets REALLY scared or does something naughty that's gonna get him pecked).
The reason I share this is because I really took a good look at him yesterday and he has become what I so hoped for him to be, a magnificent Black Langshan rooster. All awkward look gone-he is truly beautiful.
His beautiful, gentle spirit would not allow him to quit and for that, I am truly happy.
Irony is, he was "supposed" to be a hen. I believe he was sent to me because he needed me...and maybe I needed him, too.
Sorry for the rambling post, but I am so proud of him that I wanted to share his story.
I could tell very early on that he was different-he had an odd kind of look about him that I couldn't put my finger on. He had a very odd gait(hence his name) that looked neurological in nature to me.
He matured and developed so very slowly that I'm sure many people would probably have culled him. I sort of resigned myself to the fact that he probably wouldn't live very long and I wanted him here with me where I knew he would be taken care of and not left to languish.
He kept plugging along, yet seemed very isolated(probably by the flock). At about 5 months old, he could not sit on a perch, he fell a lot, couldn't run well at all and try as he might, he could not get those giant wings of his to work properly. I would sit outside many days with tears in my eyes and watch him, alone in the pasture, doing what I called "practicing" flying, running, etc. I was so afraid he would never be what he was trying so hard to be, a rooster.
One day last week, I opened the coop door and he didn't come out-I peeked in and there he was, perching. It was like he was waiting for me to see him sitting there so proudly on the perch before he came outside.
In the last week, his progress has been AMAZING. He now crows(and it's pretty darn good) and makes other big rooster noises, he is now flying into the nest boxes(which I thought he would never be able to do-still can't figure out why he is doing that) and he can flat out run! He has begun to very clumsily try to romance the ladies(doing a very bad version of the wing dance) and doing the "hey, come see what I found" noises. He actually has a couple of girlfriends! He WILL NOT allow himself to be pushed around by the other roosters anymore-he stands up for himself(of course, he does still come running to mom if he gets REALLY scared or does something naughty that's gonna get him pecked).
The reason I share this is because I really took a good look at him yesterday and he has become what I so hoped for him to be, a magnificent Black Langshan rooster. All awkward look gone-he is truly beautiful.
His beautiful, gentle spirit would not allow him to quit and for that, I am truly happy.
Irony is, he was "supposed" to be a hen. I believe he was sent to me because he needed me...and maybe I needed him, too.
Sorry for the rambling post, but I am so proud of him that I wanted to share his story.
