Caleb Gets a Harem!

"While farmers generally allow one rooster for ten hens, ten men are scarcely sufficient to service one woman." ~ Giovanni Boccaccio

"The more excited the rooster gets, the higher his voice goes. He's got a little bit of a Barney Fife quality to him." ~ Jeff Foxworthy

" Caleb loves me.. I've got him eating out of my hand!" ~ Sheron

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Camera Critters challenges us every Saturday to post photos of animals.. this week I have chosen a feisty rooster named Caleb.. at least he was feisty when he lived here on my own personal little farm.. And then we had a visitor... my favorite cousin Sheron came by one sunny day last week with a buck eye tree for my little patch of woods... she had started it from a buck eye and it was almost ready to bloom.. she and I are very much alike.. we both love trees.. and animals and wind chimes and velvet beans and birds and dragon flies and telling childhood stories.. and singing.. and Roosters... we had been talking for a few days and I couldn't convince

her to take a rooster from here.. But then she met Caleb...

Caleb walked around in his cage giving her the eye as she looked him over good.. she had admired a black rooster and a white one but those were two that we had decided would stay.. the others would be stirred into some chicken soup or a pot of dumplings soon enough.. Caleb was the first chicken we hatched and Dave and I hated to see him go to the chopping block but we knew he would eventually make it there.. After all you only need a few roosters for a large number of hens and we have way too many roosters here now.. with a new batch of babies hatching every day we had already decided who would be going to the freezer.. and though we weren't happy about it Caleb was on that list...

Sheron was a little bit worried about taking him because her own chickens are as tame as puppies.. they follow her around waiting and hoping for her to turn over an old board or a wrinkled up tarp so that they can grab a bug or a worm.. she talks to them and picks them up like they were children.. But she was willing to take a chance on him... I assured her that he

would be happy at her house with her ten hens.. he would have a Harem of his own...

Dave caught him and we loaded him up and carried him to Sheron"s house.. he danced his rooster dance and flirted with all but the bossiest hen as soon as we set him free.. but Sheron had to be sure he wouldn't attack her or her sweet nephews when they came to "pick" eggs.. she went into the pen and picked up each hen and showed herself to him again and again.. she touched him just a little and though he shied away I was happy that he didn't get overly excited...

Everyday She has called to let me know how he was doing.. he has fell in love with everyone of the hens except the one bossy one that he fussed at the first day.. and then.. yesterday Sheron called me with a story that I had to check out for myself and Dave even said to bring home pictures of it so that he could believe it too.. She said that Caleb would eat from her hand..

I know Sheron is one of the most honest people I ever knew.. but Caleb eating from her hand??.. I grabbed my digital camera and headed to her house.. and sure enough the chickens were out of the pen and wandering around the yard scratching here and there for bugs and worms.. Sheron ran to the kitchen and came back with some bread.. Pinching off tiny bites.. she fed the once feisty rooster ..Caleb.. from her hand.. I guess it is safe to say that Caleb has found a new home.. Caleb has a harem of his own! He followed us all over the yard and out into the woods where we laughed and made pictures of each other next to an old milk basket that was once a hens nest.. Now grown into the tree it is a strange sight to see.. we plundered around all afternoon in those woods with her chickens scratching around our feet and running to grab any bug that moved.. I was happy that Caleb has found a new home and will be kept out of the soup pot.. I haven't laughed that much in a long time.. Even I fed the chickens a few bites of bread.. but I am not nearly as brave as Sheron.. I snatched my hand back when they got close and she just laughed at me and finally even held my hand still.. teaching me to be a little bit braver.. one tiny bite of bread at the time!!

My wonderful.. Loving.. very special cousin Sheron!
Thanks for being you!!

Have a wonderful Night!
Patsy