Fare Thee Well, Three Musketeers

It is a sad day in Pecklandia. The three Partridge Cochin roosters were taken to a new home yesterday. With four hens and four roosters, there has been far too many boys out there in the chicken yard. While the Cochin roosters were gentlemanly, as far as rooster society goes, they were so much larger than the D'Uccle hens that it was just too much for the little hens. I took pity on them.

I caught Big Man, Sweetie Peep, and Hawk Wing, and put them in the same little cage they grew up in all together. I did not know if they would tolerate being so close to one another, but they settled down and rode all the way to Shawnee County as the perfect traveling companions. They have always been kind to one another, not pecking or fighting, only doing their little stylized side-stomping ritual if they accidentally got too close to each other. I hope that being flock mates - brothers, really - they will look out for one another in their new home, and not be too lonesome for their flock. I was going to take Elvis too, but he never fit in with the big boys. And since all the ladies at the new home are full sized hens, poor little Elvis would likely be picked on there by everyone.

One by one, I took each little rooster out of the cage, scratched his neck, and rubbed his comb in farewell. I will certainly miss those guys. I believe they went to a very good home. The roos' new caretaker said last week a coyote with a damaged paw came onto her back deck and laid down. Her uncle is in charge of a nature rehabilitation center, and he came for the coyote. A wild coyote coming right up to her home, where two big labs live... well, that was an auspicious enough sign for me.

But I will still miss those three little roosters.