My oldest son has developed quite a little farm at his house with goats, turkeys, chickens, and rabbits. And stories are beginning to emerge from this great endeavor I am sure you will be reading about. One reason for this is that he is overflowing right into our yard.
I had bought him a small coop shortly before Dirt Cheap closed down. And he sweetly brought it back to me with all the tools needed to build a chicken cage for some of the chickens he could no longer fit. Not only does this young man have a green thumb, but also a farmer's knack.
For some reason he was under the impression that because I was raised out in the country, I would naturally take to an angry stubborn rooster to go with the four chickens. And I thought the same thing as long as Joshua was there helping me set it all up. But the following morning there the rooster was, waiting for me, pacing back and forth to have a showdown. Each time I went to open the pen door he would rush it and flail his wings screeching at me.
Needless to say, that evening Joshua had to come back over to feed and water them. When he did this, he showed me how to get the rooster behind the head and shove him down until he stopped fighting to gain dominance. He also brought me a large bamboo stick to help intimidate him into submission. Clay suggested using a rake.
The rooster attacked the bamboo stick until I finally threw it at him. He then attacked the rake I then threw at him. So, I just let him out and slipped into the cage realizing I now had a free rooster and was trapped with four panicking chickens who lost their man. Then to get the rooster back in, I accidentally let two other chickens out. So, rake and bamboo stick in hand, the corralling began.
Once back into the pen, for some deranged reason I thought I could actually get the rooster behind the neck to hold it down, but after a bunch of running in tiny circles with feathers everywhere and crying creatures flying into the wire I gave up to find my escape.
I was not ready to admit defeat. The chickens really seemed to be in love with the cocky beast. And there was something about his angry pride that impressed me as well. Also, the pen was down in the corner of my yard by a neighbor's house I do not particularly care for. They moved here from the city and since have been mean to my pets.
You see, this particular enormous rooster not only crowed when the sun came up each day. But instead for a solid hour starting every morning and evening would scream bloody murder continuously like he was being chased by a clown. I had some early morning smiles over my coffee thinking about that cocky beast so near my neighbors’ bedroom window.
But alas, the president of the neighborhood association showed up at my door reporting that a multitude of neighbors were horrified by the incessant noise taking place at every sunrise and sunset and would I please get rid of the animal?
I had no choice but to concede and give the rooster over.... or rather go into the house while my son fought the thing down to get him in his truck.
I would like to think that old country girl would have eventually won out, but I guess we will never know. The new alpha chicken does adhere to the rake moves though, so eggs are delivered each morning, and all is well on the homefront.
