Mama Rooster...the Start of it All

There is something quite special about sitting on the porch swing and watching chickens pecking at the ground near your feet. A relaxing peace can come easily at that moment, there is something so...so earthy about the scene. One of the best moments of the day is when I go out the back door and see my group of chickens running at top speed toward me. They know me- I feed them each day. 

My nickname with my family is...Mama Rooster. It may seem strange at first, but when you stop and think about it the human caretaker of these creatures really takes on both a "mama hen" and a "rooster" role. While hens protect the chicks, roosters protect the whole flock; my chickens look to me for that protection, and know that when I am around, they are perfectly safe to range out and forage where they like. I also feed them, another function of both mama hens and roosters. One of the most fascinating sights is to see a rooster deny himself food as he clucks to his brood to tell them there's a tasty morsel in front of his beak. And if you have roosters in your flock, it is essential that you maintain a "top rooster" position from the time they are small chicks. 

When my family moved recently we found a house with a coop already built. Wanting eggs and meat, raising our own chickens seemed the best way to meet those goals. I had to pick out chicks the same day we signed the papers for our house because the feed store was almost out and there wouldn't be any more till next Spring. They were cheap, and there were only a few in each box. Since I'd never even considered owning a chicken till that point, it meant nothing to me as I looked at the labels on each box- Welsummer, Buff Orpington, Leghorn, etc. I was so chicken illiterate, I didn't even know there were different breeds- at that point, a chicken was a chicken! Never a fan of white chickens, I picked out the darkest looking chicks and brought home 24...24 because everyone told me I'd lose at least half in the first few days. Well, I raised those chicks under a watchful eye, and months later had 1 cockerel (young rooster), and 23 pullets (young hens).

I don’t know exactly when my “passion” for chickens started; I really liked my little flock from the start, but at some point in the Fall (when my first hens started laying eggs), they shifted from something fun to work with to a real hobby- a true “love affair”. I began studying the breeds- especially the ones for dual purpose- and colors. I looked at photos, got on lots of websites, and began corresponding with people who knew a whole lot more than I did. I even began to dream of raising and selling some of the beautiful, and often rare, chicken breeds I was discovering.

So I’ve learned a lot since I started, but I’m no long-term chicken person; I didn’t grow up raising chickens in 4-H. I don’t know the Standard of Perfection for every breed. But I’ve spent a lot of time (too much, my family complains at times) gaining a knowledge about these beautiful and useful creatures, and I want to keep learning more. What I learn, I want to share.

Are you ready to learn with me? Then I welcome you to come along on my journey in the world of chickens!