i lost my primary rooster last night. he was a silkie, a little blue fireball named ozzer who inspired fear in all the other roosters. all man, that one.
this means that the pecking order will need to be reestablished, which is uncomfortable from a human standpoint. all the bullying, all the pecking and infighting. old bob, the four year old rhode island red, is too old and stringy these days to take the flock. also, blind. erg. then there’s maladict, who was primary in the big flock until ozzer and the silkies joined the fray. he has some tough competition, though. ozzer’s two young sons, black and blue, are bickering for primacy. they’re younger, hipper, and more motivated to be the big dogs. i’ve caught both of them sneaking ’round the edges and topping hens when the older roosters weren’t paying attention.
i’m sad to lose ozzer and definitely not excited about the prospect of another winter corpse disposal. on the other hand, i definitely got myself into a too-many-roosters pickle and one fewer, in the long run, is better for the flock.
chicken keeping: not for the faint hearted.
the gumboot gumshoe 