Tale of Two Roosters!

Last week, before the big rain, we tilled up three smaller garden areas and two large garden areas.  As my husband and I were surveying all the sod that needed removing after the till (we don't leave it in... it will just find a way to re-root and plague us with unnecessary weeding) John came up with an idea.  What if we invested in some adult chickens to scratch through all the sod, eat the grubs, poop in the dirt and do a majority of the work for us?  Good idea, but we didn't want to pay a lot of money. Craig's list to the rescue!

We found a listing from someone not too far from us with six hens and two roosters for sale for $45.  Bingo!  Our chicken tractor was ready so off we went to pick up the chickens. I asked why they were getting rid of the chickens.  The answer, "We didn't have a good experience with them."   Well, duh people, two roosters with six hens in a little tiny corner of the shed. What did you expect.  But still, here we were purchasing them so I guess I can't be too hard on the sellers.

Well, now we've had them almost a week and let me tell you two roosters together is not a good thing.  The Alpha rooster we have named Jack and the underdog is Sawyer.  (Yeah, I named them.  They're still both probably headed to the stew pot, regardless of names.) Jack enjoys ruling the roost.  In fact he likes it so much that he will not let Sawyer come out of the nesting area.  If Sawyer sticks his head out and seems to be heading down for food and water, Jack puffs up and heads toward his foe and Sawyer slinks back inside.  If for some reason Sawyer doesn't retreat Jack will physically "encourage" him back inside.

I know this is just the way roosters are created but, of course, I feel sorry that Sawyer can't eat or drink. So today, as were witnessing, this we came up with a plan.  We have a small fenced in area next to the barn.  What if we put Jack in there for the day and let Sawyer have the run of the chicken tractor?

 

Here is Jack, staying out of the rain, all by himself.  I'm pretty sure he was missing his ladies.

 

Jack is very pretty and I don't mind him being Alpha but I don't need my other rooster being starved to death and dehydrated.  I will choose when either of them go. (Into the stew pot!) I am the true Alpha!

 

 Here is Sawyer exploring his new digs sans Jack! Boy was he hungry and thirsty! He liked having the hens to himself too!

 

We caught Jack and put him back in the tractor for the night.  It will be interesting to see if he lets Sawyer eat and drink tomorrow or if he needs to spend his day alone again!  I've always been a sucker for an underdog!