He Ruled the Roost

Our first farm casualty happened this afternoon, with the original rooster on the ranch falling victim to a predator attack. Though the chickens have been free-ranging safely for months, a fox was able to find his way to flock.

A sad afternoon at the ranch.

This rooster was the runt of the litter in our first brooder in 2020. A “mystery chick” from McMurray Hatchery, he turned into the ruler of the roost.

Our 3-day old “mystery chick,” who turned out to be an illegal (according to the city of Richfield, MN) rooster, who would soon be transplanted in the country with the rest of the family.

The chickens’ safety is our solemn responsibility. We let our rooster down, and we have already invested in better poultry netting and a stronger energizer to keep the birds in and the toothy neighbors out.

Throughout the last year, we’ve discovered first-hand the benefits of ranging roosters alongside the hens. Besides the obvious reproductive activities, the rooster acted as a shepherd and “guard dog” for the hens. At times, he was overprotective, and almost earned his way into the stewing pot after lunging at our two-year old son. But the pros definitely outweighed the cons.

We’re eager to continue to add more gender-diversity to our flock.