His name is Rocket Man, and we got him from friends of my parents. They apparently had one too many roosters, and the other rooster was three times Rocket Man's size, and was picking on him. So they decided to either find him a new home, or ship him off with some other chickens on Saturday to be butchered. He apparently started life as a show rooster named 'Buttercup'.
My parents went over to see him last night, and, shock of shocks, he came home with them. He's currently living in a temporary pen/shed until we get proper chicken things. Now, I didn't want the rooster, and I'm all worried about him.
Does he need a girlfriend? Is he going to fly away? Is he going to get eaten?
So, hopefully we'll still have a rooster when I get home tonight. Because, while I could have lived without a rooster, now that he's here, I have the need to make sure he's happy and healthy. *sigh*
I can see that this is the beginning of a downhill slope. Next thing you know we'll have goats and pigs and things. And more chickens. Plus, my sister wants a duck. What're we going to do with a duck? She also wanted a horse, but I am *not* going to deal with a horse. Nope. Lovely, but *lots* of work, and you just know she's not going to get up at the crack of dawn to feed him. (She doesn't get up until *noonish*.)
How fun! It's cute for me to think of Amber having farm animals. :)
ReplyDeleteAmber of Sunnybrook Farm!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Rocketman!
Susanne,
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm actually happy to have him. I'm just not really sure what to *do* with a rooster...
Mamajuliana,
ReplyDeleteCute! I like that!
We usually cage our fowl for four days - until they have a chance to "heft" to their new territory.
ReplyDeleteI love roosters. So bonnie! But some of them can get mean. Our last rooster attacked me and Elspeth. We ate him on the following Sunday. MMmm, mmmm!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteWe didn't do that, but so far, he's stayed in his pen. We're working on building a coop for him. :)
*nods* I remembered your story about the rooster that attacked you and warned my parents. That's why they went over to 'meet' him first. If he was mean or aggressive we weren't going to take him. But he's seems mellow, for a chicken. :)
OOh, how cool! I am currently planning to get 2 chickens... I am visiting a doghouse tonight to see if it would be something I could modify into a coop.
ReplyDeleteCheck out backyardchickens.com for so much great information on keeping chickens (I'm sure roosters count!)
One of the coops we saw used an igloo-style doghouse as the henhouse and then had the wire fencing attached off of that. There are some pretty elaborate ones out there.
ReplyDeleteThe one that was, 'wrong', was one we saw that had the KFC logo painted on the side. Funny, but wrong. :)
Heh. I keep calling him a chicken, and my mother says, 'no, he's a *rooster*.' Yeah. And a rooster is a what now? Chicken. Boy chicken.
Thanks. I'll check out that link. Eventually, once we have a good coop built, we're planning on getting hens as well.
Aww, how cute! You should definitely get a duck. It could make friends with the rooster so they won't be lonely! And they can defend each other against bigger animals.
ReplyDeleteI've seen posts on these igloo doghouses on backyard chicken. From what I noticed, it worked pretty well but was not the most cost-effective coop.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of doghouse coops, I need to call the dude with the doghouse! Forgot to yesterday :$ My poor future chickens.
Sanil,
ReplyDeleteWould a duck and a rooster get along?
We're going to wind up with a duck anyway, I can just *feel* it. Also, hens, so Rocket Man won't be lonely. :) *waggles eyebrows*
Candice,
ReplyDeleteYeah, and I was wondering how they got the eggs out. Those igloo things aren't equipped with a back hatch.
I think Dad is planning on building a simple one from scratch at this point though.