RIP, Rumpless

It has been a looong time since I have updated this. Well, to tell all the recent news in a small paragraph - It snowed, Mila went through a short moment of faux-moulting, all the Wyandottes and New Hampshire Reds are now laying, we get a dozen eggs a day, and . . . Rumpless, the New Hampshire Red Rooster, is dead. He died at 8 AM on Jan 21st, 2010. He came down with a terrible sickness that left him extremely lethargic, in which he could not use his legs much. Help came along too late, and he eventually gave up after 24 hours of symptoms. One of the last two NHRs, "Moha," stayed by his side and even tried helping him up just before his death. I have never known a chicken to have such emotions - Even if I moved Rumpless, she would follow me to his new place. He was the perfect rooster, too. He wouldn't boss the hens, he didn't even mature and crow or even mate with others until two days before he got ill, and he only mated with "Moha." With him being such a good rooster, I still to this day collect Moha's fertile eggs to carry on his perfect genes. It is such a shame that this is my last photo of him - He really did grow up to be such a handsome rooster in such short, late time! It was actually only during his last week of life that he looked like a true rooster. And his crow.. Aaah so cute, he only howled!

My other rooster, however, ( Marc Antony, the Easter Egger ) has been kept away from the girls for weeks on end and was finally let loose today to do as he pleases with his harem, so we can hatch some babies. The good thing is that since he was locked up, he's learned to be a gentleman. He now only mates a hen if she submits after his showing off, and he doesn't chase them halfway around the yard as he used to.

I don't have any new photos, as I cannot find my charger for the batteries to my camera right now, but tomorrow - Photos galore! I'll show the progress of my flock, because my have they grown! The "gang" no longer is "gang-like," the "kids" have grown up, and now almost everyone lays eggs. Tufted, my bearded babe, still lays the largest eggs I have ever known!