What does everyone around you do with roosters???
Iyan came running downstairs and made a very alarming announcement.
“There’s a monkey outside.”
That’s how the whole thing started.
We all trudged upstairs to hear the monkey. No one else heard it, so we did what any reasonable family would do—we ignored it and moved on with our evening.
Until the next morning.
When the “monkey” woke me up.
It wasn’t a monkey.
It was one of our chicks trying to crow.
And not well.
Think teenage boy, voice cracking, high-pitched squeak.
Not exactly the peaceful farm life I had imagined.
Last fall, our hen went broody.
(For any non-chicken owners, this means she has an uncontrollable urge to hatch eggs.)
She refused to leave the nesting box. We had to physically remove her just to make sure she would eat and drink before she marched right back like it was her full-time job.
We kept waiting for her to snap out of it.
She didn’t.
So we did what any good chicken owners do…
We bought two fertilized eggs.
She was all in.
She adopted those eggs immediately, sat on them like a professional, and in November—they hatched.
We bought heat lamps, added insulation to the coop, and somehow convinced ourselves this was all completely normal behavior.
Both chicks survived and thrived.
And then… she was done.
She lost all interest in the chicks and started running them off any time they got too close. They adjusted quickly and went fully independent, while she went back to laying eggs like nothing had ever happened.
Honestly, we all agreed—hatching chicks was a one-time adventure.
It is a lot of work to keep those cute, fluffy chicks alive.
Fast forward a few months.
Because here’s the catch: when chicks hatch, you don’t actually know if they’re hens or roosters… until later.
We were all standing outside by the coop when one of them suddenly let out a full, loud, confident crow.
It startled everyone.
Including him.
He stood there like,
“Did I just do that?”
And then immediately looked very proud of himself.
Unfortunately, this inspired the other one.
Who promptly began attempting to crow.
We are now actively trying to rehome them.
Which turns out to be difficult… because no one wants roosters.
We’ve had multiple people offer to help us make them “freezer ready,” but we’re just not there.
So for now, we have:
Two very enthusiastic roosters
One mildly annoyed hen
And a family that did not think this through
If you—or someone you know—would like two roosters…
Please let me know.
Immediately.
Seriously.
With love & glitter,
Valerie ✨
Feathers and Phases 