Oh, How the Tables Have Turned

 

The young barred rock rooster you see above has a story.  He was one of the two roosters that we hatched out that we didn't butcher.  Our plan was to save him and another Golden Comet rooster to introduce to the flock to ensure all of our eggs were fertilized so that we can once again hatch some out this year.  

This fellow and his rival (the Golden Comet) lived in the chicken tractor along with 23 hens.  It was not a place of peaceful abode.  The two roosters fought constantly.  I take that back.  There was not a lot of fighting going on.  Primarily, it was the mean Barred Rock Rooster chasing, taunting, bullying, and terrorizing the Golden Comet.

They made such a racket in the tractor.  The poor Golden Comet could hardly eat without being chased around in the confined area.  One day, a day that couldn't have come soon enough for the Golden Comet, we set the 2 roosters and the hens free in the pasture.  FREEDOM!  It was a weird day.  The two younger roosters were met face to face with the dominant rooster out in the existing flock.  He was a Rhode Island Red.  An older bird, hardened by the cruel vagaries of life in the barnyard.

A new pecking order had to be established.  Only one way to do that.  The birds fight it out.  The results of the fights lead to a (new perhaps) dominant rooster and then the #2 and #3 cocks on the walk.  It was eventful.  Lots of squawking.  Lots of blood.  The combs of the roosters were all scarred.  Battle wounds were plenty.  In a couple days, the new pecking order was established.

Believe it or not, the Barred Rock Rooster (the one in the photo above) won the heavy-weight title, beating out his previous rival AND the elder statesman of the barnyard, the old, wise Rhode Island Red.  The Barred Rock was feeling his oats, strutting around the barnyard and crowing to announce his lordship over all of the fowl.  The other roosters cowered in his presence, while he romanced any hen of his choosing.

That went on for about a month.  And then...  Then a change took place that we did not witness, but we saw the results of.  Yesterday we noticed the Barred Rock full of dried blood on his black and white plumage.  But more than that, we saw fear in his posture - a lack of confidence.  The king had been brought low.  He hid in the corner at the sight of either of the two other roosters.  When it came to roosting time, he waited until the other two roosters chose their positions to roost.  Then he humbly came to roost and was promptly chased off.

Here's the surprising part.  The new king of the barnyard is...  you guessed it.  The Golden Comet.  The bird that the Barred Rock bullied for so long.  Now, the tables have turned.  The Golden Comet stored all that abuse up over time.  At last, it was time for retribution.  He stood up and fought like Tommy fighting for Becky against the Gatlin boys in Kenny Rogers' song "Coward of the County."  And the coward is now the cock of the walk.  And the former king now cowers cowardly in the corner.  

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!  It's a great lesson in humility for all of us.