Just recently my two roosters started to crow regularly, often and at all hours of the night. Yes, I have two roosters and I live in town! Earlier this spring I started out with two hens and two baby chicks (all Silkies). I’ve always secretly known the chicks would turn into roosters since they’ve been battling head to head since we got them at a couple weeks old.
Since they’re our babies and we raised them from little fuzz balls, we don’t plan to get rid of them. Fortunatly we don’t have rules against roosters in our town. I’ve also talked to our immediate neighbors and they’re fine with the crowing. They even like it.
I still can’t help waking up every time I hear them crow — with anxiety. I really do love these little darlings and couldn’t bear sending them back to the farm (my mom’s).
Just this past Saturday morning I let them out early, since it wasn’t raining, and they just crowed and crowed and crowed their little hearts out — at 6:30 a.m.! I kept shooing them (in my PJ’s) farther away from the house, but sure enough, they’d just come right back to crow some more.
At least my neighbors both have dogs that bark at all hours of the night and they either want chickens or they already have them. I am very lucky and so are Brownie and Buttercup. I guess this means if we ever move, I’ll have to find a rooster friendly neighborhood — and you know I will.
So starting today, I’ve decided I will no longer anguish over the crowing. I will let them crow and hope for the best. I just wish they weren’t so exuberant.
Gardening in My Rubber Boots 