Animals
- Who's Who....part 5
Years ago, when we decided to have hens for eggs,we made it a point to avoid roosters.We bought our hens as chicks at the feed store.And all were hens. And there was peace on the farm. The next summer, we decided to increase our flock;and ordered 25...
- Missing
Have you seen this chicken?Babs McCluck was last seen heading out of thehenhouse around 3 PM the other afternoon.It was an afternoon like any other.She pecked around in the grass,explored the edge of the wood...and then she was gone...without a trace....
- Call Me Chicken!
Hank's days are numbered.He has become so aggressive...more so since we are home from Haiti. For the past two days he has flogged me several times each afternoon. Have you ever been flogged by a rooster? It is an amazingly scary event. First Hank...
- Happy Hank
I am writing this post for those of you who worried that a bachelor's life would be too stressful for Hank, the rooster. Ever since he has been banished from the fancy chicken's henhouse (you don't bite the hand that feeds you!), he...
- The Rooster Saga Continues (and Happy Birthday Hubbs!!!)
I won't bore you by telling this whole tale from the beginning. But I will summarize for those of you who are new to my blog. This past summer I ordered 25 fancy chicks. I also ordered a very colorful rooster chick (enter Hank)....
Animals
Four Weedings and a Funeral
Why is it that the mayhem always occurs on the weekend?
I was hoping for a relatively calm weekend...
spent in the garden, happily weeding my vegetable boxes.
I must admit,
I did get the weeding done.
Thanks to Hubbs.
Hubbs took care of afternoon chores each day
so that I could concentrate on the gardening.
Unfortunately, though, while I was peacefully gardening...
Hubbs was brutally attacked and beaten
by Hank.
Hank, the aggressive, menacing, flogging rooster.
Now, if you have been following the saga of Hank,
you will remember that several weeks ago I was ready to
turn Hank into stew.
But, no.....
Hubbs wanted to try to rehabilitate Hank.
(Enter the super-soaker...negative reinforcement for bad behavior)
Hubbs was convinced we could turn Hank
into a farm-friendly rooster.
Hubbs held onto that notion.
Until Friday afternoon.
I was peacefully gardening.
Hubbs was gathering eggs.
When suddenly.....
BAM!
Before he knew what hit him,
he was bleeding profusely.
Hank had run in from the field....
into the chicken pen....
into the chicken house....
and flogged Hubbs...
catching him....
totally
off
guard!
Not thinking, but reacting out of instinct,
Hubbs gave Hank a swift kick and sent
him flying.
Off, into the field ran Hank...
out of sight.
That night, Hank did not return to the barn,
as was his custom.
Hubbs was overwrought with guilt and remorse,
fearing that his kick had broken a rib, punctured a lung,
and sent Hank into the woods to die a slow and painful death.
The next morning, however......
Hank came happily out of the henhouse
(he never sleeps there....always alone in the barn)
and sang his usual cock-a-doodle-doo.
I laughed, hysterically...
and called Hubbs....to ease his pain.
"Hank lives," I said.
Not for long, we agreed.
With a summer full of farm tours,
(several groups of children)
we cannot have an attack rooster on the premises.
Unfortunately, Hank's reputation preceded him...
making him un-adoptable.
We had only one choice.....
an honorable death for Hank.
Hank was a warrior who lived by the sword.
It was only fitting that he should die by the sword, too.
(in the form of a painless lethal injection of barbiturate)
Good bye, Hank.
We will miss you...
Not.
PS....There is a principle that we try to live by, here on the farm. It is best described with the Sanskrit word...Ahimsa... the principle of refraining from harming any living thing. We tried our best with Hank.
Many advised us to cook him. Somehow, we just couldn't bring ourselves to do that. It seemed that euthanasia was the kindest solution. Although we are glad to be rid of this menace, we do feel some remorse.
- Who's Who....part 5
Years ago, when we decided to have hens for eggs,we made it a point to avoid roosters.We bought our hens as chicks at the feed store.And all were hens. And there was peace on the farm. The next summer, we decided to increase our flock;and ordered 25...
- Missing
Have you seen this chicken?Babs McCluck was last seen heading out of thehenhouse around 3 PM the other afternoon.It was an afternoon like any other.She pecked around in the grass,explored the edge of the wood...and then she was gone...without a trace....
- Call Me Chicken!
Hank's days are numbered.He has become so aggressive...more so since we are home from Haiti. For the past two days he has flogged me several times each afternoon. Have you ever been flogged by a rooster? It is an amazingly scary event. First Hank...
- Happy Hank
I am writing this post for those of you who worried that a bachelor's life would be too stressful for Hank, the rooster. Ever since he has been banished from the fancy chicken's henhouse (you don't bite the hand that feeds you!), he...
- The Rooster Saga Continues (and Happy Birthday Hubbs!!!)
I won't bore you by telling this whole tale from the beginning. But I will summarize for those of you who are new to my blog. This past summer I ordered 25 fancy chicks. I also ordered a very colorful rooster chick (enter Hank)....