This is Nocrow... he's my rooster.
Yeah, I know... "I thought you ran a rooster-less operation?" you say. You're right, I do... I did. Somehow this one has stayed.
You see, when I ordered my fall batch of Cornish Roaster chickens last season, McMurray Hatchery had a little checkbox - right there on that last page of your order transaction? - that says "include a free rare/fancy chicken with my order." Well, for those of us who are checkstand item picker-upers (Oooo! look, tiny hand sanitizer... hey, what ARE BradJolena doing these days??), it's a given that we're gonna check that box riiiiiiiiggghht before we hit the submit button. Oops, too late to realize that hatchery's don't give away the expensive rare and fancy breeds... unless it's a rooster. Ghaaaa!
So here he comes, a tiny black bird packed in tight with my chubby yellow Cornish Roasters. "What kind of bird is it?" I ask myself when I open the box. "Doesn't matter, he's not staying", I firmly decide, looking away so as not to accidentally make eye contact with the oddball chick.
Well, he was a daggone friendly little guy: following me around, pecking at my shoes. And he didn't make those high pitched cheep! cheep! cheep! sounds... nuh huh... he was silent unless he coo'd.
Yep, I was curious - puzzled, even. He was solid black, was he a Java? Maybe a Black Spanish? Ooooo, I know! He's a Black Marans... hmmmm, none of those are it though. Very peculiar.
OK, so I still don't know what he is but he looks a lot like the rooster gracing the cover of McMurrays 2011 catalog. The inside cover says that the bird pictured is a Silver Leghorn. But I looked them up and those birds have white neck feathers, not gold. Besides, Leghorns are small, athletic birds and this boy is BIG. *sigh*
Well, he was a daggone friendly little guy: following me around, pecking at my shoes. And he didn't make those high pitched cheep! cheep! cheep! sounds... nuh huh... he was silent unless he coo'd.
Yep, I was curious - puzzled, even. He was solid black, was he a Java? Maybe a Black Spanish? Ooooo, I know! He's a Black Marans... hmmmm, none of those are it though. Very peculiar.
OK, so I still don't know what he is but he looks a lot like the rooster gracing the cover of McMurrays 2011 catalog. The inside cover says that the bird pictured is a Silver Leghorn. But I looked them up and those birds have white neck feathers, not gold. Besides, Leghorns are small, athletic birds and this boy is BIG. *sigh*
Sheesh, what the neighbors must say! "She's got ducks... AND geese! Now a rooster?" Yep, there goes the neighborhood. I'm sure the language is a bit stronger at... oh... about 5:30am.
Anyway, he's a gorgeous bird - and big! - but I have no idea what breed he is. I asked the experts at BYC... folks loved him but had no idea what breed he was either. Pretty rare, eh? I could probably give him to about 20 different people only I don't know about shipping him.
So, I didn't create a "for sale" ad because I didn't know what to call him... then he sort of grew on me. Then I decided to put some of the girls eggs in the incubator. Every one of them was fertile and he threw three quiet little black chicks, just like him. I don't know yet if they're cockerels but unless they lay eggs, they're not staying!
Anyway, he's a gorgeous bird - and big! - but I have no idea what breed he is. I asked the experts at BYC... folks loved him but had no idea what breed he was either. Pretty rare, eh? I could probably give him to about 20 different people only I don't know about shipping him.
So, I didn't create a "for sale" ad because I didn't know what to call him... then he sort of grew on me. Then I decided to put some of the girls eggs in the incubator. Every one of them was fertile and he threw three quiet little black chicks, just like him. I don't know yet if they're cockerels but unless they lay eggs, they're not staying!
Still wet... just hatched this one in the incubator last week
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