…it’s on the internet so it has to happen.
ME: Sorry, Devon. Belle says you’ve got to go, so you’ve got to go.
DEVON:
ME: I know, I know. It’s the crowing, mainly. She’s not keen on the raping either.
DEVON:
ME: You did nearly kill Lady Leone.
DEVON:
Me: Fine, be like that.
What to do with roosters?
No one wants them. It’s hard to even give them away on Craigslist and I’m pretty sure the ones that are claimed as free roosters go straight into the stewing pot anyway. Having accepted male livestock into my life I feel as though I have to face the consequences.
We eat cheese, and young bulls feed the veal industry.
We drink milk, and young bulls are killed at birth.
We eat eggs, but roosters don’t lay them!
It’s going to be sad because:
1) I actually like him and think he’s good for my free range flock (apart from nearly killing Lady Leone)
2) I’ve had him since he was a chick and he was meant to be a she
3) I believe animals have a right to life
But, he has to go. The decision has been made: I’ve convinced myself that as a back yard chicken keeper I am improving the general life of chickens from a species perspective. Devon is just the sacrifice….
So, I will never forget my very first rooster “Yacky”. We actually impressed right out of the egg at the feed store. When he was a chick I would take him out of the cardboard box we kept in the service porch, and let him run all around the house following me – he LOVED me. Of course my parents were never home when I did this, and of course we all thought HE was a SHE because that’s what the feed store people said. He was really a super loveable chicken until he hit chicken puberty. Then he became very scary….you see he was a Cornish Rock, and they get HUGE. And HUGE mean roosters are very hard to fight off….especially once they grow their very large spurs….I applaud you for dealing with your rooster…
I’ve been having anxiety dreams that the rooster latched onto my shoulder and wouldn’t let go so I grabbed him and snapped his neck and threw him to the ground only to realise it had turned into a hen! There’s blood on my hands!
It happened – the rooster is in the freezer
Hope it wasn’t too grim, for either of you. I’ve been putting off hatching out chicks for this reason – some of them are bound to be roosters, and I’d have to deal with them. Plus I have a young son who loves our chickens – I’m not sure it sends a great message, “the boys are violent and useless, so we’ll kill them for their meat!” Maybe when he’s older and can understand the nuances a bit more : )
It was grim enough! I certainly didn’t enjoy it. I have pictures and have been meaning to post for a while…
If you’re interested: http://blueandyellowmakes.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/an-amateurs-guide-to-killing-your-rooster/