A Good Rooster

A good rooster is an important and integral part of a backyard flock.  Although the girls can get along fine without a man and still lay you plenty of delicious eggs, having a rooster can add good looks and character to your bunch.  In addition to his winsome charm, he provides extra protection for the ladies, placing himself between them and anything threatening their safety.  Many a good rooster has sacrificed his own life in an attempt to shield his hens from predators.  Besides all that, there is the idyllic crow, the hallmark song of farms all across the world.

I always knew Juan Carlos was a good rooster.  I got to see him in action again the other day though, and in the process witnessed something truly beautiful and amazing.  

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I had a few pieces of fruit in the kitchen that were starting to get a little old.  They weren't spoiled, just not quite as appetizing for us humans.  I took them outside and called for the chickens, throwing them over the fence.  'Ole Juan Carlos the rooster was the first to notice and he came right away.  Except he wouldn't eat any of it.  He called for his hens.  After you've been around chickens and listened a while you get to know that different vocalizations mean different things.  Juan Carlos has a kind of a clucking sound he makes that he employs for just one purpose: to alert his girls to food he has found for them.  It must have been nap time or egg-laying time for several of the hens, or perhaps most of them weren't really that hungry, because at that point, only one little pullet seemed to be listening and came when he called.  Maybe it was because she was the only one.  Maybe it was because she is so young that he showed her such tender care.  Maybe I've just been too busy to notice before. In any case, I was in awe of what unfolded next.  He talked to her lovingly and picked up the little berries and set them down in front of her.  She hesitated at first, but after he placed the third berry at her feet, she finally accepted his gifts and ate.  Only after she had eaten did he finally eat some himself.  I have seen him call his girls numerous times for scraps.  I have seen him wait for them to eat first.  However, I hadn't ever seen him actually give his beloved something to eat.  Yep, that's a good rooster.  I think we'll keep him.