Just about the funniest way end to 2008. I was sitting down having a cup of tea on Tuesday morning and pulled the curtains to see the hens. I opened the window to throw some corn out and Bailey came running as usual. Bailey appeared to be choking, gasping for air up at the window to me and I began to panick. I was shocked when ’she’ spread her legs wide and let out a roaring “cock a doodle doo”!!!
I rang Eric – we have a problem, I said. While I was on the phone Bailey crowed twice more, then proceeded to jump Blondie and announce he had become a teenager and intended on giving all the hens a good seeing to. I had intended only on keeping hens and not cockerals, so I set out finding Bailey a good home. Within a day, we found Bailey a home with 9 single young ladies who need protection from a fox living at the end of the field, just a few doors away.
When I let Bailey into the ladies coop, he immediately grabbed one hen and mounted her. He then flew to the top of the coop and crowed three times, then took another young hen into the coop and had his way with her.
The new owner is looking forward to the possible chicks in the Spring and I have my name on a few of Baileys babies. Sorry to see my favourite bird go, but could not have gotton him a better home.
Sinéad said,
January 3, 2009 @ 1:37 am
Oh no! Not Bailey. Sorry to hear that
But, god that’s random. I’d no idea you could mistake their sex!
Stacey K said,
January 3, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
You can sex chickens from a very young age, but I was lied to when I bought the three hens from this one particular guy, he told me all women laying and one turned out to be a guy, and one is dead and another refuses to lay a single egg.