Floppy Top

For those who have been following this Blog, our Buff Orpington Hennie Lacey set 11 or 12 Eggs late this Summer. Our slowing Winter Brains are not retrieving nor hung up on the details of the Summer Count. Of those 11 or 12 Eggs, 5 became Chicks. Of those Chicks, 4 were thought to be Roosters, which meant that 1 was a Pullet (Hennie). That low Number on the Hen side was not our plan.

However, thankfully at 5 months later, 1 of those Roosters is now laying Eggs. That means instead of 4 Roosters and 1 Hennie, we have 3 Roosters and 2 Hens. Those 2 Hennies will be added to the Laying Flock. For us, adding to the Laying Flock is good.

Lacey took responsibility for raising her Babes with full support from the Humans. She is a great Mother. As a result, however, their socialization has been different. All of the Chicks are People Shy, but they seem very beautiful and healthy.

If you are counting, you know that those 3 Roosters added to our 1 existing Rooster (Freddie) means that we have 4 Roosters. That seems to be too many. As a result, Melanie and Richard have been keeping the watchful eye to cull that number. So what do they see?

Out of the 3 Roosters, 1 is quite aggressive with all the Hennies except the Australorps and Sophia, who have made a clear mark in the Sand over which that Rooster does not cross. We have thought about naming that aggressive Rooster "Stewart", as he seems on his way to becoming Stew. You will note a shift in our thinking (and the quickness of it) since we arrived on the Farm almost 3 years ago.

One of the Roosters is 3rd on the pecking order. That's Melanie's opinion. She has been calling him Floppy Top because his comb is bigger and it flops around a bit. Floppy Top may have a different opinion about his position on the pecking order, and perhaps his name too.

Tonight, Floppy Top is going to another Home. He will be headed to Hollis and Deleta's where he will have a harem all his own. After stopping in so that I might say "Good-bye", Melanie and Richard have just left to take him to his new home. Nighttime is best for transfer to a new flock, so we are told. I suppose you could call this another small marker that we are becoming a Farm.

Thanks for being a part of our Flock, Floppy Top. We send you good wishes in your new Home.