It’s all rooster battles and coyote spit at Laughing Owl

Chester the rooster was born two summers ago as a single chick to one of our feral hens. He has always lived at the periphery of our small flock of wild chickens that roost in the carport, even though we do not give them food or water.

Dapper Dan, the head rooster, has always kept Chester at bay by terrorizing him. Something changed toward the end of last week. Chester is on the back deck beat up and bruised. Dapper Dan is not around. Finally see Dan a couple days later. He is beat up, too, and hiding in the woods 75 yards away.

Now Chester is strutting around with the hens. I was coming down the driveway Monday and Dapper Dan came out of the weeds. Chester was about 50 yards away, saw him, and came at him at a high trot. Dan freaked out and headed back into the weeds.

We call the rooster in with Levi’s hens One-Eye, because he lost an eye in a fight for the kingdom, won, then lost to Dapper Dan a few months later. He took up hiding in the white pines beside the road and hanging out with the pigs. Last September, we get a call from my sister-in-law on her way to work.

A coyote crossed the road in front of our driveway with one of our chickens in its snout and dropped it as she drove past. Levi and I jumped in the truck and sped up the driveway to find One-Eye in the neighbor’s yard dripping wet from coyote spit. He was a little shook up.

We are getting ready to integrate Levi’s flock, our feral flock, and 30-plus pullets that have just started laying, Jenifer found a pullet egg on Tuesday.

Don’t know how well that will go with the roosters – may have to coq au vin Dapper Dan and One Eye.

This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 8:33 AM with the headline "It’s all rooster battles and coyote spit at Laughing Owl."