Friday, November 18, 2011

From Nappy to Napoleon: The Rise of a Rooster

When got Nappy a few months ago, he was in a sad state.  Nate named him Napoleon because he was so much smaller than our big girls, yet he was expected to be the ruler of them all.  He also had a very funny walk, picking one leg up high before stepping, very military looking.  I started calling him Nappy because just look so nappy.  He was very sick, and he showed evidence of being picked on.  He slept most of the day for the first two weeks, and we really thought he was going to die.  Here are some before photos.  You can click on the photo for a larger view.  Note the dull eyes, lack of tail feathers, only two to call his own, and scabs on his comb.  He also smelled terrible! 


















Two months later, under our care, he is really thriving.  His tail feathers have returned, his eyes are bright, he has put on some weight, and he runs around the chicken yard like a playground.  It's amazing how just a clean fostering environment improves health.  While we have no previous experience with roosters, we know he is showing his rooster tendencies.  When a hawk flies over, he makes a trilling noise and all of the ladies immediately stop what they are doing and pay attention.  When we introduced Ginger a few days ago, he immediately jumped on her and started biting her ear lobe.  And he also does a silly dance around her with his neck feathers flared and his wing stretched out.  Chicken foreplay, no doubt.  Although they tolerate him, the other girls still won't have anything to do with him, so he has latched onto Ginger and hangs out with her during the day and sleeps beside her at night. 

While I still call him Nappy, he is becoming the ruler he was meant to be.  Here are some now photos.  I took one with Bella for scale.  She is an amazon next to him.


















Happy homesteading,

Candace

      

5 comments:

  1. What a big difference! You must be so proud.

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  2. Oh, what a handsome guy!!! I love your posts about him - they really make me smile! You and Nate have done a fantastic job with him!! I can't wait to meet this adorable fellow soon ;)

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  3. Oh my yes, he's definitely "got the goods." What a difference. Sounds like he was at the bottom of the pecking order where he came from, but has stepped into his own under your care. He's a handsome little guy!

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  4. Thanks, everyone for the nice comments. We never thought we could get away with having a rooster in our neighborhood, but so far so good. All the neighbors we've talked to don't mind him at all. We would absolutely love to have some chicks in the spring, so we'll see how this story develops.

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  5. what an improvement! you're a great chicken farmer. :)

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