Woo your favorite chick with
My Chicken Diaries Valentines
Set of 12, (6 designs, 2 cards each)
for just $10!
Kiva, an Ameracauna rooster, protects his favorite Valentine, Delilah, a Delaware hen, against a potential interloper. While chickens are not monogomous, they do often chose a preferred sweetheart or two or three. Roosters with higher pecking order in the flock attract a steady following or harem of hens. They spend their days together and roost near one another at night. During this month of romance, may you enjoy the company of your favorite Valentine!
Earning her Egg-Ceptional Observations Patch, Gisele, a Junior Girl Scout, feeds scratch to our very handsome, Questar, a Golden Phoenix rooster. The Phoenix rooster can, given a very protected environment, grow tail feathers three to four feet long. In this photo, Quest is just 6 months old and his flowing tail feathers just getting started.
Yes, we know chickens are widely regarded as farm animals. But to us, they are feathered pets to whom we give each their own personal name. Like (human) children, they just sometimes serendipitously seem to grow into their given names. James, a mixed breed rooster, for example, bears the name of a family member, James, who frequently wore French berets. Quite curiously, James, the Rooster, grew a comb that resembles a French beret, too. On October 2, World Farm Animal Day, James hopes you'll tip your hat in honor of your favorite chicken.
Spring rains add a little extra frizzle to Professor Flit, a six month old white Frizzle Frazzle Bantam cockerel's naturally curly feathers. When it comes to rain, birds of a feather tend to flock together. The ducks make every rain puddle a playful celebration. The chickens, on the other hand, head for the closest out-of-the rain place such as under a tree or towards the chicken house where the hen in the background is so quickly going. March is National Umbrella Month, don't be caught out in the rain without yours.  During a rare southern Texas snow, four month old Flip, a Crested Polish cockerel, puffs out his feathers to warm in the new year. He resolves to celebrate the preciousness of life, cherish the importance of all living things and treasure the many blessings carrying us through the year ahead.
. Strapping young Sultan rooster brothers, Jemel and Zekeye are regulars with the hens that hang out under the willow tree. They come with all possible rooster accessories - crest, beard, muff, feathered legs & feet, plus five toes. Yet even all this help, woo-ing their favorite hens is still a challenge. To all those fathers who accessorized and successfully wooed their favorite hen, we wish a Happy Father's Day. 
Trinity, an Ameraucana rooster, looks down from the chicken house rafters. Cooped up inside on another cold, rainy day, he's struck with a serious case of cabin fever. As he sits waiting for spring to arrive, he dreams of the bugs he'll eat and the hens he'll chase. Trinity invites you to join in celebrating the arrival of SPRING! 
Serving as sentries who provide an array of protective vocalizations, roosters play a very important role in the flock. In just four short weeks of life, young cockerel Spice Boy, has learned the "predator by air" alert. He quickly finds cover and stands as still as a statue until "all clear" is sounded. Someday, Spice Boy will assume his important duties as flock sentry , guarding his section of the chicken yard and sounding alerts with the other roosters.
Everyone inherits some feature frm their father. Juniper Junichiro, a Red Cochin Bantam rooster, inherited not only fine his comb and wattles from this father, Harry, a Red Cochin Bantam rooster, but also his crow. His distinctive crow starts with the regular cock-a-doodle, but ends with a long slow, fading do-o-o-o-o-o, like an engine slowly grinding to a halt. Juniper crows, "Stand up! Flap your wings! It;s Father's Da-a-a-a-y!
Have you met Edison? He's been Head Rooster for three long years. Each morning before sunrise, he starts his day with his own special ritual. He walks over the top of our house, always traveling north to south. Next, he proceeds to the garage roof, again moving north to south. Having completed his pre-dawn roof stroll, he dismounts, proudly flaps his wings followed by a resounding Head Rooster crow. His day has begun. Time to wake "his girls" sleeping in the hen house. Each evening when the day is done, he walks "his girls" safely back to the hen house before returning to our house to roost on the roof in the same place as the night before.. Next morning he'll repeat his ritual all over again.
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Too Many Roosters on My Land
A Poem by Grandma Chickadoo
Too many roosters on my land,
Sighed Grandma Chickadoo,
This, I fear, is getting out of hand.
Time for this feathery group to disband.
Too many roosters on my land,
It's time for some to leave,
I hope they'll understand,
Oh, I need fewer roosters on my land!
Too many roosters on my land,
Juan likes music and
Now sings lead in a new rock and roll band.
One less rooster crooning on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Pete discovered writing,
Tells tales of chicks in fantasyland.
One less rooster scratching on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
George found true love,
He's Henny Penny's new husband.
He's still cock-a-doodling on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Akaido fancies sushi
And set sail for far off Japan.
One less rooster eating on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Kiva won the lottery,
Last seen playing in Disneyland.
One less rooster flying around my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Soltano flew to the desert,
Bought a coop by the Rio Grande.
One less rooster subsisting on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Hank thought it was time to expand,
Took off and started his own clan.
One less rooster growing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Edison hears the beach calling,
Happy to build castles in the sand.
One less rooster erecting my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Jesse enlisted in the Army,
So proud he's in high command.
One less rooster saluting on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Zekeye entered politics,
He's known for his strong stand.
One less rooster strutting on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Hazel didn't like his name,
Changed it to Mario Ferdinand.
But, no less roosters living on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Celestino soars at cooking,
His chicken feed is never too bland.
One less rooster munching on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Miracle heals his patients,
Pondering X-ray and CAT scan.
One less rooster helping on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Floyd runs a business,
Selling his own special #1 brand.
One less rooster producing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Houdini entertains with magic,
Quite good with sleight of wingspan.
One less rooster appearing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Hiram creates new software,
Thanks to internet and broadband.
One less rooster developing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Cornelius teaches school with
Students to instruct or reprimand.
One less rooster learning on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Dalton serves as a diplomat,
Chatting with sheik and sultan,
One less rooster puffing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Uriah trades on Wall Street,
Exchanging dollar for Krugerrand.
One less rooster saving on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Einstein solves math problems,
Using divisor and multiplicand.
One less rooster multiplying on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Questar practices law,
Calling witnesses to the stand.
One less rooster bragging on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Roger perches near Broadway,
Always been a bit of a thespian.
One less rooster performing on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Oscar embraces social work,
Eager to lend a helping hand.
One less rooster living on my land. Too many roosters on my land,
Pepper felt sleepy,
And is still lost in dreamland.
One old rooster still roosting on my land. Not many roosters on my land,
They flew the coop, just as planned.
It's peaceful and quiet as it began. And Grandma Chickadoo and her hens
Are very very happy
Once again. THE END <>
THE ROMANCE OF CESAR AND ISOLDE
 | Cesar, a Cubalaya Rooster, loves to show his beautiful tail feathers. At maturity, Cubalaya rooster tails can grow as long as 4 ft! | | | | Isolde, his sweetheart with her chicks. The middle two are Cesar's sons, Daedo and Vega. |
Cesar, a Black Breasted Red Cubalaya rooster, and Isolde, a Partridge Silkie hen, have a very romantic evening tradition. As the sun sets, Cesar flies to the opposite side of the chicken yard fence. Isolde stays inside the yard. Then they stroll along the fence line, back and forth until it's time to go in the chicken house to roost for the night.
Sadly, Cesar died during Hurricane Rita. Isolde missed him badly. Every evening for a month afterwards, she walked her side of the fence waiting for him to arrive. She was so lost without him. When she went broody at the end of the month of mourning, two of the chicks she hatched were his chicks. (FYI for the scientifically minded reader: Male sperm stays active in a hen for at least 30 days, making the ending to this romance possible.)
 Daedo and Vega, sons of sweethearts Isolde and Cesar, looked identical as chicks, but as they got older, differences such as Daedo's red ear lobes and Vega's white lobes, started to appear. Both have their mother's comb and their fathers beautiful cape (neck) feathers. Handsome boys! |
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| SOMETHING NEW'S HATCHING ALL THE TIME! |
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 Liam and his family spent a week on a Farm Family Vacation. He and Wesley, a 3 month old, green-legged, feather-footed mixed breed cockerel became daily companions. Liam learned how to respectfully hold Wesley on his lap. Clearly, Wesley really enjoyed Liam's gentle touch. Soltano, a non-bearded White Crested Black Polish rooster, is our rooster look-alike for Walt Disney's character, Cruella de Vil. Like Cruella, Soltano has a lively, animated personality. However, when people see Soltano, instead of frowning, they get great big smiles on their faces. Do you?
.You've Got Male
Each year as spring approaches, our roosters, young and old alike, start to look at the hens with that special twinkle in their eyes.
So, today's fun is a matching game of the male members of the animal world. Have fun! (click on game for larger version)
... 
Meet Jesse
Isn't he divine? Jesse was our first rooster, a light Brahmaby breed. Hestood almost 2 feet tall and was quite a gentleman to his group of lady friends, the hens who spent the days with him. When he found food, he'd call them over and then step back and let them eat. When we threw out food, he'd always let the women eat first, also. He was VERY friendly and would walk along side sometimes brushing his comb against my finger tips. And his deep baritone crow was wonderfully distinguished, almost like he was singing a song to you. Sadly, Jesse caught a virus during the summer of 2004 while we were away and by the time we returned, all the love could not save him. He is dearly missed.
After his annual molt (feather shedding), Moe, a Golden Laced Crested Polish rooster, had just one wild crest feather standing, a seemingly striking resemblance to his quirky, egg-centric personality. On Memorial Day, we offer a 21 crow salute to Moe who died in the line of duty. Serving as flock sentry on the more risky outer fringes of the chicken yard, he gave his life protecting the flock from a predatory hawk. Be at peace Moe. Be at peace one and all.Pepper, a Black Sumatra mixed breed rooster, is our most senior rooster. A chick in the first clutch of eggs hatched on our farm, his mom, the late Velima Sulima, presented Pepper and his siblings around Mother's Day 2003. Over the years, he's held many rooster roles, even held the esteemed title of Head Rooster for a spell. Pepper has mentored many a new chick on the ever changing ups and downs of the chicken yard pecking order. In 2011, we thank Pepper for his many years of faithfully being on duty 24/7. 
Novo, a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster, lends a guiding presence to four cute chicks. During the three weeks that brooding hens sit night and day on their nests, the gregarious rooster goes about his usual “roosterly affairs.” Once little chicks start hatching, though, roosters, like Novo, are gentle and protective with the precious new members of the flock.
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Even tending a flock of chickens
puts those good ol' math skills
to work. Are you up to the task?
(click on image to enlarge) 
Have you held a rooster, played with his wattles and touched his beak? Celestino, a white Cochin Bantam rooster in the arms of Chickadoo Suz, Roving Chicken Story-Teller, is a live, hands-on rooster complete with touchable wattles, comb and feathers. Together, Chickadoo Suz & her feathered ambassadors teach and entertain audiences about how chickens are like people. Catch them swapping rooster tales at library story times, girl scout meetings, birthday parties, science fairs and just about any opportunity that hatches....
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