What makes Chuck so special? Well, a lot of things really. Roosters get a bad reputation for being aggressive and unruly but in fact there are so many factors which come into play when determining an animal’s behavior. Breed, heritage, handling, environment, and medical factors all play a role in a rooster’s behavior. For centuries humans have intentionally bred roosters for aggressive traits for illegal cock fighting. Unfortunately, this horrific practice persists. Additionally, many people buy straight run chicks with no plan for the unwanted roosters that may be in their brooder. My husband jokes straight run really means “box of roosters”. Too many roosters are dumped or meet untimely ends simply because the people who purchased them failed to plan for the possibility of their existence. The rooster’s job in addition to providing fertile eggs is to protect his flock from predators. He does this through warning the flock of danger and can defend the flock physically with his spurs, the long talons on the back of his legs. When we first started our backyard chicken journey we knew we wanted a rooster because we wanted the option of fertile eggs and our own chicks down the road. We had heard the horror stories of people having to cull roosters for terrible aggression, so we decided the best way to avoid this way to be as hands on as possible with Chuck from day one. He was gently and lovingly handled every single day while he was in the brooder. We put treats in our hands and taught all of first chickens to be very hand friendly with time and patience. We continued to handle our chickens even once they were grown, especially Chuck. A great time to do this is just before bedtime when everyone is on the roost. We will go into the coop and interact with the whole flock to familiarize them with us. We are also out of the coop well before dark so we aren’t disrupting their sleep! Also, we are aware of Chuck’s job and Chuck’s nature. He is protective of his girls, and especially the distinctly chicken areas of our yard, their run and coop. Rooster’s aggression also fluctuates seasonally as Chuck and the other roosters are all a little bit more testy in the springtime when they are retesting their standing within the flock. Chickens are quite smart and very trainable. Whenever we are outside we make it a point to interact with our chickens and especially Chuck with treats so he doesn’t perceive us as a threat. In addition to being well trained and very loved, Chuck is simply the most skilled rooster I’ve ever seen. On more than one occasion I have seen him herd his hens to safety and out of danger. I have also witnessed him block the coop door with his own body and not let the hens out until he was certain it was safe for everyone to come out into the run. Whenever we hand out treats, Chuck always feeds his hens before enjoying any himself. He tolerates me handling him and carrying him around my yard and garden. His favorite garden snack (other than bugs!) is cherry tomatoes. What makes Chuck so special? Everything! He’s incredible, that’s what. Loving and raising him and my other chickens continues to be a magical and eye opening journey to the beauty and complexity of nature and animals that we miss everyday because we simply don’t slow down long enough to see it. Chuck grew up to be an amazing rooster in part because of the extra time and attention we devoted to him and still do devote to him. The other reason he turned out amazing is he is just one awesome bird.