It eventually reached a breaking point, and I realized we could no longer keep Earl. But before I explain the difficult decision, let me take you back to how it all began.
Our journey started with the sheer excitement of bringing home our chicks. I had wanted chickens for a long time, and it felt like a dream come true. From keeping them inside and listening to their tiny squeaks to moving them into their own coop, every moment was filled with joy.
Then, around the 12-week mark, we were shocked to hear the beginnings of crowing from inside the coop. I tried to convince myself it was just normal hen noises, but eventually, I had to face the reality: three of our eleven “hens” were actually roosters. To say I was devastated is an understatement.
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After rehoming Duck and Nugget to another farm, we decided to keep Earl. He had been Hailey’s favorite, and we had cuddled him since he was just a day old. We remained cautiously optimistic that things would work out, especially when we harvested our very first egg!
However, puberty hit hard, and Earl’s hormones quickly transformed him into quite the handful. I tried every trick in the book to encourage more submissive behavior, even resorting to having him wear Kaitlyn’s softball helmet, but ultimately, he could not be trusted.
Gradually, things began to shift. The girls grew fearful of him, and rightfully so. He started lunging at us whenever we entered the fence or got too close to the hens. I found myself holding the hens less frequently because, while they would still run to me, Earl would aggressively herd them away. At some point, I realized we were no longer enjoying our chickens the way we used to. Collecting eggs became a tactical mission, requiring me to carry a rake just in case Earl decided I was a threat.
Then came the feather plucking. While I cannot be certain it was entirely Earl’s doing, the significant feather loss on the backs of several hens was clearly a result of over-mating. It was easy to tell which hens were his favorites. But the situation deteriorated further as feathers began to be aggressively plucked. Poor Wednesday ended up with an almost completely bare back, and he even started pulling her tail feathers. I fitted her with a protective saddle, but the next day, I discovered Heyhey had four beautiful feathers plucked right off. I assumed that since Earl couldn’t reach Wednesday with her saddle on, he was taking his frustration out on the next available hen.
That was the final straw. I knew Earl had to go.
I was the last one to reach this conclusion. David had never warmed up to him, the girls were terrified of him, and the neighbors weren’t fans either. It was just me who held out. It took me a long time because I truly love animals and felt as though I was giving up on him. We had our good moments; he was an excellent protector against predators, and I genuinely believe he trusted me more than anyone. To me, rehoming him felt like a betrayal.
But the facts were undeniable. The hens’ health was suffering, and they needed time to regrow their feathers before the cold weather set in. I also couldn’t deny that the girls were no longer engaging with the flock, which saddened me deeply. So, I made the difficult call and contacted the farmer who had taken in Duck and Nugget. He agreed to take Earl. On Friday, I burst into tears as David scooped up Earl, placed him in Finley’s dog crate, and drove him to his new home on the large farm.
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Once David returned, I found peace with our decision. Having this farmer and his nearby farm is a true gift, as I know Earl joined a massive flock with plenty of hens to keep him busy and a much larger area to roam and protect.
And then, as if to solidify that we made the right choice, H and K were back inside the chicken fence, hand-feeding and snuggling the hens as if nothing had ever happened.
We conducted a thorough coop cleanup and trimmed and weeded the surrounding area. It was incredibly comforting to be with the chickens again without constantly having to watch our backs. While I will certainly miss his crowing, I truly believe this was the best choice for both our flock and our family.
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I wanted to make sure the girls were truly okay with the entire situation. After all, Earl had been a favorite during those first few months. However, when I went to check on Hailey, she was busy editing a video of the entire ordeal set to the song “Goodbye Earl.” It was then I realized that the girls are, in fact, perfectly fine returning to a flock of only hens.
I am now happy to head into the cooler weather with all of us able to go out and enjoy the chickens once more. But wow, this chicken-raising business is definitely not for the faint of heart!