CockadoodleMoo.org

Dianne:

Al, the rooster wants a piece of me. 

For months Al and I have had crowing contests and in the very beginning, before we had hens he tried to spur me a couple of times, but now he really wants to get me.

When I go into the pen, he starts this stomping dance and his crown and wattle turn dark red; next thing he sizes me up, tilting his head from side to side; and finally he proudly raises his chest preparing to spur. 

The first time he did this a couple of weeks back, I was wearing my big winter boots. I was surprised and I have to admit he had me cornered in the coop's patio so he spurred my boots once or twice before I was able to escape. When I told Mark about this, he said, "Good for Al. That means he's protecting his girls". I argued that I feed his girls and clean his coop, but then it occurred to me that I also steal his unborn offspring.

He has his golden eye on me, watching and waiting. He is usually slow in coming — sizing me up and doing his dance — so I am able to grab a board, a broom or a shovel to place between him and me. It doesn't matter what the barrier is, he will take it on and he gets some good height. He also hits hard. So Mark's next idea was to just let him spur me so I could see that it really won't hurt that bad. Because in my daily job I am on my feet for eight hours, the prospect of bruised shins just is not appealing to me. I'm funny like that.

So last night I went down to lock up and I could see him inside the coop sifting through the new clean straw. When I realized that three of the girls weren't in the coop, I turned to go and shoo them in.  Out came Al in a full run. I screamed and lunged for the post on the ground. I got it between us and he spurred it three times before I chased him back into the coop. Yes, here I am ten times his size and screaming like a girl. I got the chickens inside and locked up, heart pounding and out of breath. 

My solution is Al needs more hens so he will be too tired to kick my butt. Until then, I guess I will walk tall and carry a big stick, and try not to scream like a little girl.

-Dianne