The Nicest Guy I Know

This guy may be the finest gentleman I have ever met...of any species.

This is the only rooster that remains from a straight run group of chicks we bought last year. He was allowed to stay on as "man of the farm" mainly because he was so dang good looking...little did I know we picked the nicest guy of the bunch as well.

In the last year, he has never once shown aggression towards people or any other animal, he has never been overly forward or mean with his hens and he never even crows at inappropriate hours...the perfect rooster!

But it is his more subtle attributes that have been impressing me lately. He has always been a good leader--keeping his hens inside our boundary fence, warding off the annoying harassment of the guinea fowl and always making sure everyone gets into the chicken coop before he goes in...he is last in, last out every day.

And he has the finest set of "table manners" I have ever witnessed in another species. Most roosters will go through a whole food alert ritual as part of the mating process--clucking and dancing around when they find a tasty treat. Their main intent is usually to use the food as a way to "get into bed" with the hens.

But this guy takes it a step further--he seeks food out and will carry it back to his favorite hens if they aren't near. And he doesn't do it for the nookie...he just wants to bring them food (he actually only mates in the morning and treats mostly happen in the evening). I have seen him on repeated occasions run back and forth across the yard with some tidbits of table scraps I have thrown out just to go take and share it with his favorite hens. They have learned that they need not race about for treats, but that their man will bring them "take out" if they just wait. 

This has become extra apparent in the hot weather--the hens all just want to chill in the shade and often won't come for treats. But they need not worry because their loving man is standing by ready and willing to bring them whatever they want--tonight it was a bounty of moldy strawberries. He tirelessly took them their berries in the shade until I felt bad for him and walked over to the shade myself with the rest of the treats. I rarely see him eat anything himself, it is all for his girls. :)

I just hope those chicken ladies know just how good they have it.