Tad and Tupac and their huge flock of ladies. They are very happy living on the main farm.
Urkel rooster, aka Mr. Buttercup is a Sicilian Buttercup Rooster- check out his cup-like comb!
Cedrick still camera shy
The cute and very tiny Kimball
Let’s Hear it for the
Boys: The Roosters of the Franklinville Rescue
All sanctuaries are inundated with them. Many backyard-flock ordinances forbid them. Hundreds of millions of them
die each year because they are not able to produce eggs. They are used
for fighting and as bait. The rooster is perhaps the most misunderstood and underappreciated
animal we take in during a rescue.
But each rooster is an amazing being. A
complex individual. A protector of his flock. And one of the most beautiful beings on any of
our properties. So let’s meet the roosters of our most recent emergency rescue and
learn who they are.
Roosters will attack when their hens or flock
friends are threatened by predators. They will alert others to food — even taking
special care of blind hens who struggle to find food on their own. If a hen is
sick and cannot roost, her rooster will stay beside her through the night to
keep her safe. Roosters are amazing!
Luther, a huge Rhode Island Red boy, is one of
the oldest roosters from the Franklinville rescue. He lived in the “upper barn” at the property, which was so horrific that respirators
had to be worn by all humans entering the area (the birds had to endure these
conditions constantly). Luther takes his role of Protector seriously, and even attacked
a few of the rescuers!
Handsome Luther is always in charge and makes sure everyone knows about it.
Bodo was also found living in the upper barn. Unlike Luther, however, he is by no means aggressive, and is afraid of
humans. If a sanctuary caregiver enters his home, he hides in the nest box — or behind one
of his girls!
The very handsome Bodo and his stunning tail feathers
— striking a pose.
Tad and Tupac are still too young to have
spurs. They were found in a tiny cage along with some small bantam hens. Like
most younger boys, they tend to fly under the radar, but they are slowly learning to
trust. Tad is especially curious and sweet, and carefully inspects any human
who comes into his area. Tad and Tupac adore their ladies!
Cute little Tad still hides behind the hens for protection.
Tupac peaking out of his brand new barn.
Urkel (aka Mr. Buttercup) is an older, arthritic fellow with curled toes and missing toe tips. He is a Sicilian
Buttercup rooster and has the unique buttercup comb that is a signature of this breed. Urkel is very brave and
assertive, but sadly does not have the means to back up his threats. So
far, he has foolishly attempted to take on guinea fowl and a 45-pound tom turkey
named Marshall, and he still doesn’t realize his limitations! But he does
it for his ladies, who all seem to feel very safe with this guy.
Norm is an older male who was having
difficulty living with a larger group. He was being picked on by many of the
younger males, so we decided to try him with Norma, who looks very similar and
is likely somehow connected to him. Norma enjoys crawling under Norm while he
sits on her head, which for these two is normal. Seeing this behavior for the
first time, our staff had to ask: Is this their “norm”? Just like that, these
individuals had their names! Noreen, another beautiful hen, is just joining
this pair and hopefully will fit right in.
Norm and gal pal Norma getting ready for bed.
Barnett is a smaller boy with a big
personality. This guy is a real ladies’ man, but can also play it cool
with his rooster pals. His tiny stature and gorgeous feathered legs are part of
his rooster charm.
Barnett always around the ladies
— who look at him lovingly each day.
Emory, Khan, and Caleb are three younger boys with
a whole lot of energy and love for each other. This beautiful trio is still
scared of humans, and needs a nice flock of ladies to help ease them out of their
shells. They also need to stick together. If you have the space and a love of
the Roo
— please fill out an application at this link!
The triplets: Emory, Khan, and Caleb looking for a home.
Cedrick and Kimball are small boys
— not the
smallest of bantams, but much smaller than the other roosters they arrived
with. These two were clearly very close with the bantams from the rescue, so we moved them in with a little flock of their own. This group, too, is
looking for a home where they can stick together with their tiny lady friends.
Cedrick, the taller boy on the left, and pal Kimball, the tiny little tough guy, love having all their bantam girls by their sides.
We are looking for
wonderful homes for these boys, so if you are interested in roosters, and have
the time, space, resources, and heart to take them in, apply to adopt today!
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