This is Dorothy. Dorothy is a rooster.
I got our most recent batch of chickens in Petaluma right before Thanksgiving. At the time, they were very young pullets - coop-ready chicks really - and they’ve been growing and hopping and running and making themselves at home. It’s been an adventure, with all kinds of new experiences, most of which come from having such a big flock (10 - big for me). I’ve really had to step up my game regarding cleaning and providing carbon to soak up all the nitrogen. The food bill has been higher. And yesterday, one (Lois) flew out of the chicken run, which I haven’t had happen since we put up the tall fencing, so I had to do some trimming of wings. This is a process that does not harm the chicken but prevents them from flying too high. I’ve never had to trim wings before, although many folks do it as a matter of course.
Dorothy has been another interesting adventure. About a month ago, I mentioned that she was developing a long, droopy tail, and that I suspected ‘she’ might be a ‘he.’ And just this past week, he has begun showing a very keen interest in the hens and crowing. The crowing was the defining moment. Dorothy is indeed a rooster, a very beautiful one.
It’s interesting because it has changed the entire dynamic of the flock. Mornings, especially, are a little rough, as Dorothy positively hounds the hens, chasing them around the run. He’s relentless, following some urge he doesn’t have any control over. The newer hens are young, too, and so have no experience with it, and my older hens also have no idea what to make of this randy young thing, strutting around the yard. All kinds of idioms that I’ve heard all my life are starting to make sense now (“Cock of the Walk?”).
I love the crowing, and I’d rather like to have a rooster and raise my own chicks. But we live in an urban area where roosters are against code, so Dorothy will be dispatched swiftly this afternoon. We haven’t done this in a while, and since Dorothy is young and healthy, we can eat him. I paid $15 for him, plus countless dollars since in feeding and care. He’s been a very expensive chicken. I will not waste the meat; that would be irresponsible. I’ve done some research about cooking home-raised poultry since the last time, and it seems that even though he is basically free-range and young, he will still be rather tough (not being a breed raised for meat). So I will do a braise with coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. But if any of you have a tried-and-true recipe for this sort of situation, I’d be grateful.
First egg of the year, laid February 1, by one of the old hens
The timing of this really couldn’t be better. Adam’s senior project is about how to eat meat sustainably, and this will tie in nicely. It will be interesting to have him be part of the process this time. I think it’s important for him (and for Rin, and for any meat eater) to know the truth about meat production and what it really looks like. While no killing feels right (and it shouldn’t), a home harvest is a much kinder and gentler process than any conventional one.
We also had another death in the flock recently. Goose, a golden sexlink chicken, suddenly became ill and listless. She died naturally, in a crate filled with soft shavings, which I had put her in to try to help her heal. She was a great chicken and we really liked her. So our flock of ten will soon be eight (and perhaps a little more manageable).
The good news is, our first egg of the year was laid yesterday. So the light is coming back and pretty soon we should have eggs from the older hens. The new hens should start laying soon, too. If all were born at the same time, they should all start to reach sexual maturity at the same time, and since Dorothy has definitely reached his, the others can’t be far behind.