Mystery chick...please don’t be a roo

[LCG Chicken Coop]

You can't have a rooster where you are? He will grow up to be very handsome indeed.

I wonder...our garden is within city limits and roosters are prohibited. At the same time, there are no close neighbors so maybe if we claim ignorance we could try keeping him. It is an enclosed run, though, and I don’t know how his breed will do in that environment? He is a very handsome fella though—my daughter loves his coloring.

 

[LCG Chicken Coop]

Maybe it's not so bad.

When I ordered a Black Copper Marans hen from a hatchery they sent me a little cockerel by mistake. I was really disappointed that I wouldn't get the deep chocolate eggs I was looking forward to but he turned out to be beautiful. Later, virulent Newcastle Disease hit Los Angeles county where I live. We were -- are still -- under quarantine and my order for new hens was refused last spring.

Monsieur Maurice was the ONLY chance I had to get a chick. He gave us 3 crossed with a Cream Legbar (blue eggs). I'm hoping to see a green egg or two sometime in the next couple months.

Roos are gorgeous and they have their own personalities. You may end up glad to have him. Even if it's just for a while. I had a neighbor who objected to him (also 2 other households who loved him but the squeaky wheel and all that...) so he's no longer with us. But his chicks are. AND I kept one little cockerel for the coming year just in case we're still in quarantine.

It's pretty damned exciting if you get to hatch your own chicks. And if you have kids or grandkids they'll really get a very special experience. We had kids from all over the neighborhood checking on the progress in our incubator and our brooder kennel. It's an experience I'm very glad we got to have. ...but I still look forward to the day when I can get my Black Copper Marans hen and my chocolate eggs.

That’s a great story—thank you for giving me some food for thought. Best of luck with your hen order some day!

 

[MROO]

I wonder...our garden is within city limits and roosters are prohibited. At the same time, there are no close neighbors so maybe if we claim ignorance we could try keeping him. It is an enclosed run, though, and I don’t know how his breed will do in that environment? He is a very handsome fella though—my daughter loves his coloring.

It's worth a try! And Hamburgs are active, but he should do okay in a run as long as he has his ladies to keep him occupied. They're also, at least in my opinion, one of the prettiest of the smaller chickens ... especially the roos!