Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Fate of the male...

Yesterday my two glossy black, adolescent roosters went home - back to Niki and Geoff at Oxford, from whence they came as several-day-old chicks.


Nobody wants roos. My first hatching several years ago produced some magnificent boys. When the time came to part with them I checked out TradeMe, not wanting to make money but to find happy homes. While hens were attracting hot bidding and remarkable prices, roos were consistently listed with a $1.00 reserve - and still no bidding! I felt sad for them all.


The next time around I held on to my roos a little longer. The strangled, practice crows grew into full-on, all day advertisements to the girls and the world at large. I advertised on TradeMe. No luck. What to do? I couldn't dispatch them myself for fear of mangling the job. Next thing there was a letter in my box and a knock at my door - disgruntled, roo-averse neighbours. I got desperate. I took to plucking the roos off their perches at night and stashing them in cartons in my garage, to discourage the dawn chorus. They crowed anyway, in their boxes, in the garage - but at least I was the only one disturbed, until their morning return to the harem. Finally one of the disgruntled neighbours offered to take them away - to a farm in Little River. I don't think they were destined to strut their stuff and be fathers...


My point being that life is tough if you are a roo. You do the deed, perpetuate the species and then no-one wants you. Maybe this is true of the male of the species in general?? I think guys get a tough time.


Thank you Niki and Geoff for resolving my dilemma. It will be a little less 'colourful' in the Bay.


The Little River rejects

28 comments:

  1. Hi Jane .. They were put with ladies last night and were still inside when I left this morning so the transition went well. One lady here suggested putting them in cages (or where ever) so that they cannot lift their heads to crow and they won't. Worth a try maybe ? Niki thought they are a cross of Orpington with Barnvelder (I think). Thankyou for the apples .. My grandfather used to favour them :o))>

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  2. Hi AJ, I tell a lie! It was not your roo out with the ladies. Your two spent the whole day playing scaredy bums in the henhouse. I'm sure they will venture out tomo. They look stunning! Are they the barney orps? You will have to take a pic of the girls. I'm quite amazed that they didnt get any barney brown in them. And plus their dad was a blue orp. I will wash the cages and G will get them back to you with a bottle of port :)

    I'm shattered and sore. Spent a whole day chaffing and looks like I will be at it again tomo. I dined on lemon honey sandwiches!! mmmmm The weight training has improved my strength. I can throw those 20kg bags around now! :) Looking forward to a nice hot shower. Take care XXXXX

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  3. Oh yes! and I was told that I had to share the quince jelly!! :(

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  4. Provocative! Oh, but not Pukeko! Not my chosen Moe! And most definitely not Sir Blue!

    Your big boys are beautiful. Here, in an urban setting, I've romanticized the crow of the rooster from literary references, and from nostalgic childhood memories, but I can imagine it could provoke "roo-averse" responses (great word, roo-averse) if constant---in the same way the droning bubbly song of the tiny but gregarious house wren annoys me sometimes.

    And do you share your quince jelly recipe?

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  5. Yes, I must take photos of the girls Niki. I love the name 'Barney Orp'. Has a nice rhythm. You could do a poem about a Barney Orp! Glad the boys are OK and hope they do a bit of strutting before graduating to higher things.

    I'm not 100% convinced about the caging PG. I couldn't believe it when the roos continued to crow in their overnight cartons. But good on them - the instinct is strong. (Guess what I heard early morning in the floating village on Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia...). Thank you for 'rehoming' them.

    Quince jelly recipe Debby?? Oh yes, I can post that though it is just a generic jelly recipe and pretty hit and miss at that. Will do so...

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  6. I guess if I were a strapping young lad with color so fine and eyes so bright, and there were ladies about, no one could stop me crowing, either.

    No roosters or hens nearby for us. But at certain times of year, we do have owls roost in the maple outside my window. The boys call, and sometimes the girls answer, and sometimes not.

    It's a wild and haunting thing, and I love it.

    Maybe if it went on early every morning I'd rather they kept quiet.

    But I find it hard to imagine feeling that way...

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  7. I had a dream about an owl last night. A stunning white one with black around its eyes. I caught it, held it for a while then set it free.

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  8. I have never seen a real owl - would love to do so. Being brought up on Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh - owls have a special resonance!

    What a neat dream Niki - and you remembered it :-) Why an owl I wonder?

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  9. When I was a teenager I used to 'go bush' on the West Coast. I loved listening to the moreporks at night and even took a photo of one. Poor thing! I always giggle when I make pork sandwiches. "More pork sandwiches anyone?" :)

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  10. Janey! Your blog time is all out of whack. Change in Settings... I think.

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  11. Niki,

    What a lovely dream!

    For people who believe in that sort of thing, dreams of owls are powerful omens--good ones, if the bird was treated with respect, and ill if not treated kindly.

    I believe in dreams. And I believe in people who dream. So by proxy, I must think good things are soon to come your way.

    You know, could be there's a snowy owl somewhere marveling at a dream it had, wherein it perched on the arm of a wonderful woman, then took flight, as dreams and owls are wont to do.

    And Jane,

    We have very fine owls here in the hardwood forests of Illinois. The birds are large, and so are their voices. Once when I was young, and too late down by the creek, several Barred owls called from the Cottonwoods nearby.

    I couldn't find them, but I knew they were watching.

    Spooked me. And I loved it. I've been hooked on owls ever since.

    Should you ever make it to the United States and pass my way, I'll make sure you see an owl...

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  12. Niki and Joe there is a story being born here - dreams and snowy owls. The Dream of the Snowy Owl... How rich and wonderful and mysterious is the dreaming life...

    'More pork' - hehe Niki. I heard Moreporks in the night bush at Okarito but of course didn't see them. The Maori name is Ruru I think.

    Thank you Joe. Some day I may well get to see an Illinois owl. Is the Cottonwood a tree??

    I tried to fix my time but couldn't find the place to do it.

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  13. Ready AJ? Go to dashboard page - click settings - click formatting - scroll to timezone - click arrow scroll to(GMT+12:00) Auckland click - scroll down to save settings click. :) XX

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  14. Oh dear, bad omen coming my way :( - I think I squeezed the owl too hard in my hug because he didnt look happy and struggled a bit. Trust me to overdo a cuddle. There's a snowy owl somewhere marveling at a dream it had, wherein it escaped the clutches of a crazy woman.

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  15. awwww I just realised my bad omen has already hit :( I've hurt my back and have spent most of day lying on couch with snottie hottie and drugged with codiene.

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  16. Thank you my techie friend - I think I've done it :-)

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  17. Jane,

    Well then, when you come here, you'll let me know, and we'll find owls--either wild or in a wonderful sanctuary not terribly far away.

    But since Niki has agreed to push me from a bridge in NZ sometime (and I return the favor), perhaps we'll meet in your backyard, rather than mine.

    Cottonwoods are very large trees that usually grow near water. In summer, they shed seeds that can float for miles, thanks to a bit of fluff that looks like cotton. When they're full on, it can be quite a sight.

    Niki, Hope you're feeling better! And since friends don't let friends self-medicate and blog, I'll caution you to limit your online time while you're on the mend.

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  18. I have a cliff at the bottom of my garden if you and Niki want a bridge-substitute ;-)

    I just googled Cottonwoods. Must be glorious in full seed. Thanks Joe.

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  19. Jane,

    That could work on the way down, but the lift and bounce after might be a bit dicey. :)

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  20. AJ, I bags you go first and if you give it the thumbs up then I'll shove Joe off. What fun! :)

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  21. Tread carefully, Niki. Could be Jane has designs on letting you go first. :)

    How's this: I'll go first, and that will settle that. The two of you can take photos, and cut me down or haul me in, whichever safety and expediency dictate.

    Also, if either of you would care to start my heart should it stop, I'd be much obliged.

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  22. Oh, comments are missing...??? :-(

    Niki and I were just waiting to respond creatively to your last posting Joe. Blogger was down yesterday and now it seems to have cut us off at the knees...

    Never mind, a little knee-capping won't stop Wool'n'Nuts!

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  23. Hi Jane,

    I was just emailing you! Seems Blogger-Comments-Gone-Missing was a worldwide issue yesterday. Or perhaps google just felt my nonsense wasn't worth keeping. Can't say I blame them on that count.

    I've several documents backed up on google docs. Maybe I should see if they're still with us...

    Chat with you soon,
    Joe

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  24. aww flippin heck! *bangs head on table* I had the most brilliant comment all prepared. :(

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  25. Even facebook was playing up last nite, I couldnt get onto bejeweled and now Ma has taken over the lead!

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  26. Me too Niki (brilliant comment that is) ;-)

    Hope those documents are OK Joe.

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  27. Jane - Deb had made a comment on eye for eye and that is gone too. Thought I would tell you incase you had missed it. Hope you having a lovely weekend :) XX

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