Emeritus Director's Blog
April 2009: That Rascal Rooster!
The Whippoorwill rooster's name is really Rascal Jr., named after his very small bantam father, who gave his life to save the flock.
Rascal Jr. is three times the size of his father, with a beautiful head of feathers that are red to gold to orange to russet brown. The rest of his feathers continue the glowing colors, all the way to his black tail that has a small amount of white.
Rascal Jr. is beautiful, and he knows it! He crows mightily: "I am the handsomest rooster of all time!" He always looks out for the ladies, and shows them where the choicest morsels of food are located.
There is one problem with Rascal Jr., though. He can use his strong wings to fly 10 feet above the chicken coop wire, and then he can't get back in. We have to chase and cajole him to go in through the chicken-house door. Sometimes it takes us thirty minutes to get him in the chicken house!
One day I tried and tried to get him to go in the chicken house, and finally I gave up. As I was walking sadly back down the field, I looked back and saw Little Rascal fly up to the top of the fence, flap his wings, and crow loudly, "Look at me, I'm the greatest!"
That rascally rooster, he could get back into the chicken house any time he wanted!
-- Sidney, director emeritus