A love and break up letter to my rooster...

If you have been following the blog lately you know I had to re home FJ to a farm in Guilford.  If you don't understand the relationship this girl had with her first rooster read on....

Dear Franz Jospeh,
   When I set off to that workshop at Jenna's farm to pick you up I was so happy to finally get chicks.   You and your girleens were years in the making, lots of dreaming, and reading.  I stayed at a very nice Inn and they were very kind you three.  You stayed in the garage that first night with your heat lamp and the kind Inn Keeper checked on you, you three made him happy. That workshop Franz on that damp cool day, was so much fun I hung out with people just like me who wanted to start their first flock and dream of a simple life.  From day one you have been a trial.  When I returned home with you three there was something wrong with your butt.  Lesson one, it's hard to clean a chicks butt, oh and that little dot, that wasn't anything wrong, it was what would eventually make you different from the other two fully butts.  Every night you would chirp your little head off till I made it warmer in the brooder, just feet from my bed, giving you the name Empress Sisi.  Yes it was fun, but damn you had some lungs.  As you got older your little comb started to show more and more, again more differences from the other two.  I wished that my Empress wasn't becoming an Emperor.  As time went on, you got bigger and that comb got bigger and those damn waddles started coming in.  You were a good "girl?" always in the middle of things and enjoying sitting on my lap.  Then that dreaded day came when you started to crow?  Really? I was still hoping you were just a dominant hen that crowed.  I convinced myself that that was so.  Nope, one day I sent your teenage picture to Jenna it was confirmed, you were a Roo.  I was sooo sad, my empress would have to be re homed and I began worrying about the neighbors.  Your named changed to Franz Joseph, your names sake husband.  It all changed from there.

This was about the time you three were to go out side.  We insulated the coop and made shutters to keep you quite.  Those first crows of yours were the silliest things I have ever heard.  Each weekend I was always worried the neighbors would complain.  But they never did, in fact they loved hearing your crows.  As time went on you grew and got older.  The girleenes loved you, the neighbors loved you, and most of all I loved you.  I heard the warnings, he'll go bad and ride your girls bare backed.  You have always been kind to those girleens.

You got really sick once, I found you on the bottom of coop one night not able to get back to the roost.  For two weeks you were a house roo.  We studied together, cuddled, and were the best of buddies.  I even took you to the vet and she warned me too of the possible dangers of a hand reared rooster.  I changed my ways and so did you, both for the better.  In time you were better and when I put you back outside with your girleenes you danced for them, you missed each other sooo much.

As time went on we got into it again, more research and I thought I smoothed things over.  You got frostbite and we were getting along for me treat you and you were being a good boy.  Those girls love you and you loved them with all your little heart.  It was always a pleasure to see you call them over for food and share prized treats.  If the greater being made a human man as kind as you are to those girleens I'd jump at the chance.

That scary day when I was super beyond upset and I thought I would loose all three of you, you let me cry with you guys over loosing the house, the magic of my daddy, and the beginning of me having to be a grown up. I'll always be great full that you let me have that last sit with you before... BAM I get back from chicken congress and you hate me.

Each day since you tried all kinds of things to scare me off, flogging, a bite to the face, and bad body language.  Till Franz Joseph you flogged me from behind and would not let me get you out of the coop or get in the run.  You my friend made chicken keeping NOT FUN!  News flash you are MINE not the other way around.  So you eventually won.  What do I know about keeping chickens let a lone a rooster trying to be a rooster?  I hoped, researched, and tried everything I could to help you live here.  It just was not meant to be.  You are going to a really nice farm in Guilford and finally do what you so desperately want to do, look after hens.  You my little roo, will be missed but it's for the best.

Love,
   Megan

Time to say, "Good bye" to a friend....

Hi all it's been a long time.

First an update.

Last picture of the girleens and their boy

    Nearly two weeks ago I brought FJ to a farm in Guilford.  Yes it was sad, but it's been a long time coming.  All the other places I thought I would bring him were honestly, not meant to be.  Either I was playing phone tag or they were just not interested.  You see this home was meant to be.  My my friend A who's not too into chickens but cares about them because I do was getting her car serviced and complemented a women on her boots.  That woman was into chickens and offered some phone numbers about farms who might need a roo.  So I just called one of the farms.  It was the easiest conversation I have had in months and why, I'll tell you all later this month.  This farmer was so smart, knew about the importance of bio security, and best of all wanted FJ.  So we scheduled a time to bring him up there.  FJ spent the next night in a cat crate in the garage,with feed, and water.  After ENJOYING morning chores with the girleens off he went to his new life.  I met the farmers wife and she knew how to handle him.  She kindly talked to me about the farm and I asked for a farm tour.  She obliged and boy was it cool!  It's just a regular old farm, small and simple.  Exactly what I want for the future Wee Farm.   FJ is going to spend some time in quarantine, then hopefully get a flock of his own, and enjoy life free ranging.  In time, I hope to keep up a relationship with the farmer and his wife by helping them out on the farm by learning how they do things there.  It was a week later when I texted the farmer to check on FJ, "He's doing good, crowin up a storm in the mornings".  That's great news!  Time to open the next door....

   So what did the girleens think about this?  Not much, they are still doing their thing just without a rooster trying have his way with them, if you get my drift.  I did notice that egg production slowed down a little.  But since FJ left I have been spending LOADS of time with the girleens! We just chill out in the pen reading all sorts of internet goodness, we are working on getting to know each other again, and they are "helping" write this post now.  I think Banty left an egg while I was working out here.

   Over the weekend I attended an event put on by the Greenwich Audubon society.  Where I met local chicken Facebook friends.  We heard lectures from a local business My Pet Chicken about basic chicken keeping, of course.  There were also lectures on gardening, the soil food web, and bee keeping.  It was a long drive and a day full of education.  The girleens were spoiled with "Chicken Crack" which really made them happy!

 ....Oh yeah when blogging with the chickens the undo button is a powerful thing, when you have a Light Brahma stepping on your keyboard.

Excuse me, when are you going to get off this thing and give me a treat?