The elderly Rooster
It rained for most of the day yesterday which kept the pigs inside and the cows outside. Cows, big hot beasts, love a gentle rain but pigs not so much.
As soon as the rain stopped the piglets slowly ventured forth.
This old rooster (below) Son of Son of Neanderthol Man, oldest of the roosters, has moved into the milking shed, sleeping in the feed bay next to where the cows eat their milking treats. He no longer perches his feet are swollen and he has terrible balance so he just nestles into the old hay there. In fact he literally stands beside the cows head waiting for them to finish so he can limp over for scraps. I have to shoo bim back to his corner when I change cows during milking. He even drinks milk out of the cats bowls.
He is a scrawny old rooster with a pronounced limp and avoids being beaten up by the younger roosters by laying low, living quietly and alone out of the way of the others. Though he is the oldest there are other solitary roosters living about the place, usually in the vicinity of a mammal who will share their food with them, there is that little white rooster with Sheila, and Father Christmas who sleeps by the piglets now, a few others. staying within their own little territories and hiding if the younger roosters strut in with their females.
Lucky for them they live in a domesticated kingdom where there is food to share and plenty of places to hide out of the rain.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
45 Comments on “The elderly Rooster”
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The roosters seem to have a good life.
Morning Nadia! c
I hope when I am old and wobbly and my feet hurt even worse than they do now, I shall find a kind home which is cosy, free of drafts and full of big warm people who let me share their food…
yes.. c
That little piglet with the white face is very cute 🙂
they are getting quite chubby aren’t they.. c
Poor old rooster. those piggies are thriving. Love that Tima totally unperturbed by being stalked by cat and TonTon. Laura
She has oblivious down to a T.. c
Dear old rooster. Poor fellow. The piglets are so damn cute! How wonderful to have a soaking rain C. All of our provinces are desperate too. Major water restrictions makes for unfun gardening.
Have a wonderful day.
🙂 Mandy xo
There is such drought everywhere – such a beleagured planet – it really was not designed for this kind of inhabitation.. c
Quite right C.
So true!
Gosh, it’s hard to see our roosters grow older, watch their feet swell and see them limp around, and be tormented and chased and pecked into submission by the younger roosters. Our eldest, R Cubed (Rhode Island Red Rooster), lived five years, and died this summer. I’m not sure if that’s about the normal life span for a rooster, but he had a good life, as yours certainly do! xo
Five years sounds just about right – I am afraid my old rooster will have a hard winter but the barn gives him lots of little warm spots.. c
Adorable photos
Thank you.. c
That old roosters sounds like some people I know. I was just thinking today: I wonder how I will grow old?
Mercy – you are way too young for that kind of thinking. we are young yet!! . c
I know! It crosses my mind because my mother is in decline…and I wonder how my children will react when I’m the old chicken. Don’t worry. It doesn’t consume my thoughts at all.
Love the old roosters … and their survival smarts.
It is a natural progression. better this way… c
It is a loving thing to allow life to be as it is… those roosters adapt and make the best of life. Lovely observations, C.
Nice observation, Lori. 💕
One summer, when I was in Germany, somebody talked my brother into taking their rooster and about 6 hens. It was amazing, our rooster chased them away. They ended up hiding in the orchard. Three of the hens went to the other side. Eventually, my brother returned the rooster and some of the hens. I was always looking for eggs and watched the drama unfold.
Nature is interesting. Im glad the old timer can find a comfortable nest and food. A kinder, gentler end I think.
we often hear about the cows and the pigs..and as lovely as the stories are..it is great to hear about the chooks even very elderly ones. Poor old soul! Especially with swollen feet….lots of love
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 2:44 PM
I love that there’s a place for everybody on the farmy.
Very cool photos. I want a pig for a pet now!
The piglets have such smooth velvety coats. So lovely!
TWO photos of all nine piglets! How did you manage that? They are adorable and I’d love to have one on my lap and stroke their silky little ears. I am an ears person when it comes to animals. Much love, Your Gayle
Little piggies are so darn cute.
Hi Cecilia, I just love to read your posts! And your pictures are always so amazing. These piglets, adorable. Greetings from Cecilia to Cecilia! 🙂
Yes!! Don’t you just love our name!! c
It sounds like you have quite a few roosters about the place. Are they the result of hatched eggs? We decided to allow our broody hen(s) to hatch their nest, since they are rather violent about us trying to take the eggs. We’ve had one go-round, with one (of two) chicks surviving — fortunately a hen. We struggled with what to do with roosters. We already have two in our enclosed hen house and run area. We don’t want more in there. I’m wondering, if after reading this post, if we could let them be free range on the ranch and roost in the barn. Is that kind of what you’ve done? (those piglets are adorable!)
yes that is kind of what i have done. Mine hatch chickens in the strangest places and any hens (if I can catch them) go in with the layers and the roosters stay outside and roost in the buildings or with their nominated mammal friend. .A couple of times a year I send a few young ones off with the broilers to be prepared for the freezer.. I have a special area for the laying hens and there are only two roosters allowed in there, (if any more get in i go out at night and pop them back out the door) – I must have 6 or 7 roosters wandering about with the peafowl and the guineas. c
What a most beautiful post! But your reflections on your old rooster do remind me that we are trying to find three or four hens for our own rooster is now on his own. So if anyone within striking distance of Southern Oregon knows of some hens then do shout out!
Hope you find him some girls – we have the opposite problem here.. I do have other oregon readers = you never know
Fingers crossed a connection might be made. We live in Merlin (ZIP 97532) about 12 miles North of Grants Pass. Would be happy to drive for a couple of hours to collect some spare ‘girls’.
There’s something comforting about the idea of an ‘old bird’ finding a place that accommodates his frailties, sitting in the hay, away from the hustle of the other animals.💕 The light outlining those little piggies is so gorgeous. They are like little jewels.
Lucky old bugger, ending up at your farm! 🙂
Is that Lulu on the black behemoth? Squeeee @ the piglets. So cute. Almost November yet we are in the low 90s this week. Beautiful mornings tho. What’s for dinner tonite?
Yes, that is LuLu ! – we done – not many can tell them apart – dinner was lasagna
Driving in the car yesterday the scanning radio stations I encountered a news bulletin. Just awful. Not my type of news at all. I’d rather visit and read the Farmy news… Rooster Grows Old ♡
so nice that the old boys can live out their lives in peace….
Poor old rooster .. smart though staying out of harms way 😄