Rooster

 

This spring, we took in these rescue chicks from a neighbor.  Ceasar in front, Theodore in the middle, and Lil' Blackie in the back.  We were happy to take them, but weren't sure if they would turn out to be hens or roosters...

We don't want a rooster.  For one, we don't want to annoy the neighbors with early morning "cock-a-doodle dos," and secondly we really don't want to crack open any fertilized eggs.  

By the way, one of the most frequent questions we get about chickens is "So, you don't need a rooster for the hens to lay eggs?" and the answer is "no."  The hens lay eggs just about every day whether or not there is a rooster; but no rooster means no baby chicks growing in those eggs (a surprise we'd rather not get).

 

Now the chicks are all grown up.  Theodore on the left, Lil' Blackie, and then Ceasar.  See Theodore's pointy neck and wing feathers? and his tall stature? and his pretty coloring?  These signs led us to believe that he is... well, that he is a HE.  We didn't wait around to see if any eggs would get fertilized.  The local farm store happily bought him to resell (I actually talked to a guy interested in buying him for his farm while I was still there dropping him off).  Luckily the other two are hens and get to stay with the rest of the flock.  Thus goes life on the farm.  I will say this, though, considering Theodore started out as a lab experiment in vet school, he had a pretty nice childhood roaming our yard and snatching blueberries straight off the bush.  Goodbye Theodore!