Roosty

Roosty is the patriarch of our farm. He arrived on our doorstep (Someone literally dropped him off while we weren't home!) many years ago. Our oldest, then just a toddler, took an immediate liking to him and carried him all over the place. I kept a close eye on them because roosters don't always make the best of pets, but Roosty was wonderful. And he's always been good to the hens, as well. A couple of times, during the last few years, I have made the mistake of suggesting that perhaps Roosty is getting past his prime and we should replace him with a younger breeding rooster. The boys won't hear of it! So, Roosty will stay for as long as he likes...

Rooster Head Shot

Meet my parents' rooster. He commands a flock of 6 hens. He started his life in the classroom, believe it or not. Each spring I take the incubator and a clutch of eggs to school and the kids get to watch them hatch. (I'm scheduled to take it to the 2nd grade classroom tomorrow.) I even take a high-powered flashlight, called an egg candler, to class sometime during the incubation process, which takes 21 days. Using this light, we can look through the shell and see the chick developing inside the egg. If we're lucky, we can even see it moving around! Needless to say, the kids are always absolutely fascinated. It's such a fun project! The only down-side is that anytime we hatch chicks, we always end up with way too many roosters. Fortunately, this guy found a very happy home.

Click here to read about some of my other roosters finding a happy home and to see pictures of them....