Tuesday, May 3, 2011

My Three Roosters






Winter's big rooster round-up is over and done with. The daffodils are out, the mint is starting to sprout in the garden (and everywhere else it can get to) and the hens are scratching fall's last shriveled leaves to bits.

Also, the three remaining roosters are figuring out the pecking order.

Chickens really do have them. There's always a fat, glossy hen with an evil glint in her eye, not so different from those Housewives of Orange County. (Okay, I confess, I've never SEEN one of those housewives shows so this last part pure guesswork)



Anyway, there's also the timid bottom rung girls

who are lean and rangy and dart more often then they waddle.


Often there are squabbles between them, but these last a few seconds. High ranking hen says "Move it pipsqueak!" and low ranking hen, flutters off clucking apologies, that sort of thing.

But with roosters, this stuff is more like "Lock-Up" or something (Again, haven't actually seen this show, but I don't exactly live in a cave either.)

Our main man rooster, Jaguar is 3 or 4 years old now (He's the khaki fellow on the far left)

Jaguar has been king of this here castle quite a while, and he has all the swagger of John Wayne. He doesn't start fights, but he can end them.

Usually.

Too bad for Jaguar, our second ranking rooster is two this year, a mature and weighty bird with a magnificent dark green tail.


And plenty swagger of his own.



He used to be "Dionysus" until he beat up his brother Apollo



Since then, he's lived with his own small harem away from Jaguar in the lower barn. We now call this dude "Vlad" or "The Black-Bottomed Rooster" after the vulture in Horton Hears a Who




Vlad had an edge, and he has been angling to displace Jaguar for a while now. Today they had a run in in the no-bird's land between the coop and the barn. But the dogs made such a fuss, they went their separate ways without resolving anything.

It's a waiting game now.

Which brings us to the last of the Maggie's Farm Roos: Blackbeard


This guy is young. He still has that gangly, goofball quality (just look at that face!)

The hens just don't take him seriously, but he hangs around the outskirts of Jaguar's flock, trying to snatch them away (Roosters are not above rape.) Of course, when he starts after one, Jaguar comes barreling to the rescue. So mostly Blackbeard runs, and watches and waits. I don't think he's eating much.

So that's our current triumvirate. But I'll keep you posted.

11 comments:

Everett said...

Great post. I love watching our birds. It's much better than TV. The guineas are even funnier than the chickens, although they're more difficult to tell apart.

PS: I shared your post with some folks here:
http://twitter.com/#!/SimpleLifeBlog/status/65767329056833536

Perri said...

I agree, much better than TV. Our two guineas sort of rule the coop. I should have mentioned them!

Thanks Everett! I appreciate the comments (and tweets, too!)

Unknown said...

What beautiful roosters! Have you seen how crazy people are in the states for the long rooster feathers with the trend of feather hair extensions. I hate to think that they kill them for that. Maybe if you have loose ones you could sell them. They are going for at least $20.00 a dozen on ETSY.

Unknown said...

Reading your blog gives me my farm fix. I went from a 40 acre farm with all sorts of animals (chickens, not roosters, though) to a quarter acre suburbal plot. My husband and I are determined to make our move back to the farm. Thanks for the inspiration!

Perri said...

Thanks for the tip, Lee. I had no idea there was a market for rooster feathers (Maybe I do live in a cave after all)

Kelly, I feel your pain. We lived south of Boston for way too long.

Ashley Ashbee said...

This was better than a soap opera!

House Built On Stone said...

those roosters are so beautiful especially blackbeard standing so proud

Unknown said...

Another award! Just named your blog "Irresistably Sweet" over at my site.

Razzberry Corner said...

Oh wow, didn't know there was a market for feathers on ETSY!! Maybe I'm in that cave, too. And don't feel bad, I haven't seen all those shows you mentioned, either. Who's got time for that? I guess we all have our priorities.

I LOVE your roos. They are very pretty. Umm, I mean, handsome.

~Lynn

Anonymous said...

Love your chickens! We just got 12 chicks with friends and we are just so excited. Love watching them grow.

Kristin Nicholas said...

I had a rooster like your Blackbeard once. I think a Salmon Faverolle. He started out okay and then became nasty as heck. In the end, we had to be-head him. I was scared to death to walk in the coop.

As the phrase goes - "Don't bite the hand of those who feed you!"

Cute blog.