It was time for a talk...not a conversation...A TALK.

This was a one-way street.  You listen, I talk.

But First...Some Background

We have six chickens, strike that, we HAD six chickens.  We now have four chickens thanks to an 'unfriendly' that has been roaming the skies above our property.  One might make the argument that they are just chickens. What's the big deal?

These are NOT just chickens.  These are chickens...with names. That makes them members of the family, and when it comes to my wife, you don't mess with a member of the family.  Thanks to our feathered family, we haven't had to buy eggs in nearly two years.  Of course, that cost is offset by the amount of bleach we've had to purchase to clean the floor of the patio and garage.

Did you know it's a fact that chickens poop about every 30 minutes?  Obviously, these chickens are from my side of the family.

How to Protect the Family

Option 1 - Kill the hawk.  That's illegal, can't do that...at least, not on purpose.

Option 2 - Get a rooster.  A few online articles mentioned that a rooster will protect his brood to the death. I wasn't sure about that. The only rooster that I've experienced is Foghorn Leghorn on Saturday mornings...not much of a protector, but a really good prankster.

Rex Becomes Part of the Family

Thanks to the folks at Flower Hill Farm (their farm is located near Huntington), we got ourselves a rooster.

***Side Note*** - They also breed and sell Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and on occasion, they host Goat Yoga...yes, Goat Yoga is a thing. I guess adorable creatures heighten the effects of such practices.  Guess I'll head down to Ellen Trout Zoo and try out a session of 'Otter Thoughts' or 'Peacock Pilates'. 

The rooster's name is Rex and he immediately became acclimated to our chickens.  I think he is part toad because he plays leapfrog a lot with them.

So, all has been going well over the past couple of months. Rex keeps a close eye on his flock and whenever a chicken wanders out on her own, Sexy Rexy is quick to crow and bring her back to the brood.

But, There is One Issue

The first time it happened was a few weeks ago.  I was walking in the yard and the chickens were following me, (sometimes I feed them grapes as treats), then out of nowhere, POP!  Rex came up from behind and took a lunge at my leg.

I couldn't figure out what I did to set him off. Did I break protocol and not offer him the grapes first? Was I walking too close to his best girl? Have I eaten too many of his brethren in the past?

Fast Forward

I have now been on the receiving end of Rex's spurs about a half-dozen times.  He never hurts me, but it is a little startling. This may sound a bit crazy, but the last two times I think I've seen the edges of his beak curl up into a smirk.

Oh...he knows what he's doing, alright.  He doesn't like his girls to come chasing after me to get treats.  Somehow the word got out to Rex that I'm a breast man, and he feels threatened.

Turnabout is Fair Play

At first, I was going to try to reason with Rex and let him know that I have no interest in his girls.  But, I decided I needed to have A TALK with him.  I needed to speak his language...and that's exactly what I did.

 

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