ANDY AND HIS ROOSTERS

My friend Andy used to have chickens when he was growing up and thought that he would enjoy having them on his rural Mansfield property as a source of fresh eggs. One of his water customers (Andy owns Mansfield Springs Water Company) was happy to give him four Bantam chickens a year ago. There were two hens and two roosters when we picked them up and brought them home. One of the roosters slipped out of the crate before being placed into the chicken coop -- he was around for about two weeks before he met his ultimate fate. Several mishaps later, including an invasion of the chicken coop by a black bear -- it took off with a full bag of chicken feed -- only one hen was left with a clutch of six fertile eggs. Andy naturally hoped that the odds would be in his favour as to hen/rooster ratios.

I wondered if the black bear shock to the mother hen somehow skewed what should have been a 50:50 ratio, but there were five roosters to one little hen in that clutch of eggs. The Hazletts have been putting up for months with almost continuous crowing starting often at 3 in the morning. The hens are feeling harassed and egg production isn't high. Andy talks about how he has to reduce the number of roosters, but meanwhile has managed to make pets out of them. The nuts and seeds that he keeps in his pockets at all times have much to do with the friendliness of the chickens.

It is relaxing to watch them as they go about their chicken business, but the crowing is admittedly tiresome after awhile. We are also wondering what vegetables will be safe to grow in the garden -- chickens are fairly omnivorous and will eat almost anything.

note: The photo shows Andy reaching into his pocket for a chicken treat. Three of the roosters are perched and waiting.