Hitchcock is a Faverolle cockerel. He was pretty funny looking as a tween-ager, but now he's growing into his body and doesn't look so awkward and geeky. I'll have to get a good picture of him to post later (it's too dark to get a good one at dusk when he's perched on the railing.)
The Favs (Amy and Amelia, who adore Hitchcock) and Mille Fleur D'Uccles (Albert and Fiona) really like to perch on the veranda railing with him during the day for their naps. In the evening, however, Hitchcock persists in roosting on that railing instead of going into the coop with the rest of the very large flock. I have taken and carried him to the coop every night for more than a week, until last night.
I am beginning to concur with Amy & Amelia's assessment of Hitchcock. (Although I won't groom his beard like they do.) He's so darned intrepid. He checks out the far corners of the property (2/3rds of an acre) several times a day. I've watched him harass a squirrel several times, chasing it up trees and then pacing around the base of the trunk. Whenever he goes somewhere, it's usually at a run, and he ALWAYS leans forward into it, with his neck outstretched. This makes him look very fierce. He's a determined little fellow. He patrols the property quite a bit, although he naps with the Favs on the veranda in the heat of the day.
He frequently hangs out by the fence next to the neighbor's chicken coop, showing off for the ladies over there. They are always penned, unlike my freely ranging flock. So they do watch Hitchcock with interest.
He appears to know his name. If he's some distance away and I call "Hitchcock" he always turns toward me. He might not come right away, but within a few minutes, he's on the porch looking for me near the front door to the house.
Last night, Hitchcock was alone on the railing. (Sometimes he's got a buddy up there with him when it's time to go into the coop, but not often.) Instead of taking him to the coop, I carried him to the deck chair and held him in my lap when I sat down. Then I patted him, stroked his back, and skritched his chest a little bit. After a while, I stroked his wattles very gently. He snuggled right against my chest.
I know this was bad, but I put him back onto the railing in his favorite spot when I got up to go inside for the night. The night before, I'd put Hitchcock and Calico into the coop because there's been a large owl sitting on one of the front fence posts when I came home from visiting with friends. Didn't want them to be an owl snack.... But last night, I just put Hitchcock back on the railing, hoping he'd be safe.
This morning as I left for work - before dawn - Hitchcock greeted me with a rustle and fluffing of his feathers as he stood and stretched. He does crow, but not very often. (There are plenty of other roosters with which he can compete in crow-fests, but he's not much of a crower.)
Part of me wants to let him stay where he wants to roost. At least it's not in the trees, or up on a roof or anything. It's right there on the porch railing, with a good view of the yard. And maybe enough protection from predators?
<*sigh*> He sure snuggled good.
Edited to add photo:
Not all that great, but it shows the afternoon group up there. Hitchcock is the one closest to the camera.
The Favs (Amy and Amelia, who adore Hitchcock) and Mille Fleur D'Uccles (Albert and Fiona) really like to perch on the veranda railing with him during the day for their naps. In the evening, however, Hitchcock persists in roosting on that railing instead of going into the coop with the rest of the very large flock. I have taken and carried him to the coop every night for more than a week, until last night.
I am beginning to concur with Amy & Amelia's assessment of Hitchcock. (Although I won't groom his beard like they do.) He's so darned intrepid. He checks out the far corners of the property (2/3rds of an acre) several times a day. I've watched him harass a squirrel several times, chasing it up trees and then pacing around the base of the trunk. Whenever he goes somewhere, it's usually at a run, and he ALWAYS leans forward into it, with his neck outstretched. This makes him look very fierce. He's a determined little fellow. He patrols the property quite a bit, although he naps with the Favs on the veranda in the heat of the day.
He frequently hangs out by the fence next to the neighbor's chicken coop, showing off for the ladies over there. They are always penned, unlike my freely ranging flock. So they do watch Hitchcock with interest.
He appears to know his name. If he's some distance away and I call "Hitchcock" he always turns toward me. He might not come right away, but within a few minutes, he's on the porch looking for me near the front door to the house.
Last night, Hitchcock was alone on the railing. (Sometimes he's got a buddy up there with him when it's time to go into the coop, but not often.) Instead of taking him to the coop, I carried him to the deck chair and held him in my lap when I sat down. Then I patted him, stroked his back, and skritched his chest a little bit. After a while, I stroked his wattles very gently. He snuggled right against my chest.
I know this was bad, but I put him back onto the railing in his favorite spot when I got up to go inside for the night. The night before, I'd put Hitchcock and Calico into the coop because there's been a large owl sitting on one of the front fence posts when I came home from visiting with friends. Didn't want them to be an owl snack.... But last night, I just put Hitchcock back on the railing, hoping he'd be safe.
This morning as I left for work - before dawn - Hitchcock greeted me with a rustle and fluffing of his feathers as he stood and stretched. He does crow, but not very often. (There are plenty of other roosters with which he can compete in crow-fests, but he's not much of a crower.)
Part of me wants to let him stay where he wants to roost. At least it's not in the trees, or up on a roof or anything. It's right there on the porch railing, with a good view of the yard. And maybe enough protection from predators?
<*sigh*> He sure snuggled good.
Edited to add photo:
Not all that great, but it shows the afternoon group up there. Hitchcock is the one closest to the camera.
Last edited:
