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︎ zazen bozo ︎


︎︎︎ June 11th, 2023 ︎︎︎




Life’s hard for a rooster. 
Their testicles are as big as a man’s, and they weigh like 10 lbs. I cannot imagine the absolute havoc that must wreak on a bird. 
They are so transparently products of their biology that it makes me sad to do what we must.

Reynolds, and Big Reynolds were good birds, but they were roosters. They both terrorized some of the other layers and even drove off one of our favorites.

Big Reynolds, Regular Reynolds and Mister Darcey are our roosters, and all three roostered. Regular Reynolds was the first to be mean, so we killed him. Then Big Reynolds took his place as the bully; he relentlessly abused a few of the layers he was born to protect, and so we killed him today. He wasn’t doing it to be mean, he was doing it because he felt he had to and he is a chicken. He was not very smart. He didn’t know any better. 

It’s the not knowing any better that makes me feel so sad about culling them. They are just doing their best, they have no ill-intentions, but still, their behavior is a net negative for the flock. We, with the power of God on this homestead, must choose the wellbeing of the flock.

Mister Darcey is the only remaining rooster. He’s always been our favorite. I’m curious to see if he’ll become a bully the way his predecessors did. I certainly hope not. 

While the other roosters rush over to any sound of distress, Mister Darcy is the only chicken I’ve seen perform an act of out and out bravery. 

A few days ago a raven was casing their food, flying by, roosting, watching. Eventually the bird, easily as large as Mister Darcey, landed by the food and began looking around. Mister Darcey screeched, puffed up to look big, and charged the enormous black bird, sending him way. 

He didn’t hesitate at all.

 

Killing the second rooster was easier than killing the first, I cried less. And the first rooster was easier than the ducks, I sobbed less. 

I have complicated feelings about killing these animals. We’ve taken them into our care and they give us so much. We go to work, we make art, we run errands. They are entirely what they are, and all of what they are, is here and only here. Both Reynolds spent all but a single day, the first, of their lives on our property. It is all they ever knew.

They deserve respect and they deserve love.
 

 

Bozo