At the weekend, our non-chicken keeping neighbour turned up with this bird under his arm. I’m sure I could make lots of jokes about this, especially as his wife happened to be away, but I’ll resist. The chicken had been found wandering around and was it one of ours. It wasn’t, but we put it in our spare ark until the owner could be found and reunited.
We visited several other chicken keeping households, but no one knew the bird, or felt inclined to offer a home. The problem is that this chicken is a cockerel. A young Light Sussex cockerel. This years hatching, by the looks of him. He is very tame and has red legs. He has lumps where his spurs should be.
As the weekend wore on, it seemed more and more probable that he is the sad victim of a dump and run. Probably bought as a hatching egg and rather than dispatching him humanely, he has been released into the woods behind us. Maybe they thought he would have a happy life before the local foxes got him. Having seen the result of a fox attack, I’m not sure that the short moment of freedom compensates for the ultimate end.
So to add to my frustrations of our two resident cockerels, I now seem to have acquired another. The children have named him. (Don’t do it!!!!!) As we have three children, he has three names. Meet Spencer Benjamin George…… Don’t ask!
The question now is does he stay. People who want a pet cockerel are few and far between. It is one of the sad facts about chicken keeping. Cockerels are not many people’s cup of tea.
End note:
Thank you so much for all your kind words and support – both emails and comments prompted by my last post. The blogging community has such a wealth of warm and caring people, I feel blessed to have joined it. I have taken such strength from all your words and feel I am right to take the stand I took.
I realise that I have been fairly cryptic. My problem stems from my eldest daughter bringing home some material from school as part of a program being run by a third party. The concepts printed were phrased in a manner suitable for teenagers and above, not an eight year old. If they had taken a more age appropriate stance then I’d have no problem with her joining in. I cannot trust their judgement. So I’m trusting mine instead.
I really do enjoy reading all your comments. Thank you.
Now, anyone want a cockerel? To a good home only.
He’s just beautiful! I’d take him in a heartbeat!
That’s so sad that someone would just dump him off…I’m so glad we don’t have that problem around here, (too many meat eaters around here…he’d likely have ended up in a stew pot than on the street)!
Good luck finding this handsome gent a good home!
(LOVE his name…so dignified! Our rooster is Sir Lancelot 😉
xo maureen
I’d send him over, but I’m guessing the transport cost would be astronomical. Plus with unknown heritage, I’m not sure your border control would let him in. He found his crow today. It sounds like a young bird croakey crow, like he has only just found his voice. Me thinks, his previous home acted fast to show him the door when he proved he was not going to be the best egg layer!
He’s a handsome fellow! Hope you don’t mind me throwing my 2 cents in. While not knowing all the details, I agree with you. Trust your own instincts.
Oh Jodi, I never mind you throwing in your opinion. I know you are right. I am going to trust my instincts on this one.
Thanks for the fantastic tip with the apple rings! I have a sack of apples and was almost tempted to give them all to the horses…now I will keep the good ones and make these (we’ve already done the sauce, crumbles and pies!)
Sorry we can’ take your cockeral, our little dog is not so good with chickens, although I hope that once we move to a place with more space, this could be an option!
Parenting is tough – we decided to home school partly to try and extend their childhood but believe me, even in the slightly more innocent home ed circles, you still come up against it!
I love having fresh eggs and the chickens wandering around. Our dogs have always been fine with our chickens, but have been known to chase others. I think they have accepted our flock as part of the pack.
Appreciate your comment about home educating. I thought it would be more immune, but that would probably mean living in a bubble!
Hope you enjoy the apple rings. Best with eaters.
We love our cockerel (most of the time) he does look after his girls so well – really protective and kind – but I must agree three sounds a few too many!
We had an issue with school last year – planning a huge ‘prom’ like leaving party for year six – MAKE UP and LIMO included! I wrote a letter regarding the many, many issues I had with this – making them grow up too soon being a big one for me. It happened anyway – most of the parents were pushing FOR it – although Jack chose not to go, without any pushing from us – he decided he would rather have an evening with his family. Like all your other commenters, I think you just have to go with your heart and do what you believe to be best for your child – good luck with it – I will be thinking of you – and all those apple rings! 😀
I’m glad I’m not alone in finding the push to make our children grow up so quickly, so alarming. Your event sounds awful. Our local secondary school does something similar at the end of the GSCE year. Photos in the local rag. The children are five years older, but it still makes me cringe.
Oh he looks a handsome fella… I don’t envy you that quandry
Love the name …lol
Yes, it is a quandry. There is one member of the family, or maybe two, that are sizing him up for the right sized pot. The other half of the family are ready to chain themselves to the bars in protest. I’m sitting on the fence, still hoping someone will offer him a home.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you
(we now have a strict rule that if it might be headed for dinner it can’t have a name…I still wince at the memory of how that rule came about…)
He looks so lovely ..do you have a UK version of Craigslist where you could advertise him? …sounds like I’m suggesting the Personal column for poultry…there obviously no hope for me
Oh my goodness. I’m now imagining you all around the table discussing which bird you are eating. We are working on the no name rule. We are taking baby steps in the right direction, but we’re not there yet!
Like the idea of a personal column for poultry. Reminds me a bit of the Dick King Smith book. The Fox Busters. They list each group of birds attributes in a similar way, if I remember right. There are various places to advertise, so I might investigate that next. He’s in the ark on his own and I’m feeling sorry for him, but I’m not going to risk putting him with any of mine (yet).