We asked the neighbours how they would feel about a short stay rooster, just for long enough to get some fertilized eggs. They were all ok about it – our back neighbours were even a bit keen since they usually trade us berries for any young cockerels we hatch (and our aged out hens). In Myanmarr, homegrown chicken is much preferred to the bleached skin of supermarket chicken, and dark skinned chicken best of all.
But in the end we decided against it. A rooster crowing is one of those nostalgic sounds I really miss from rural living, but in suburbia a noisy rooster would be really rude and inconsiderate if there is a shiftworker even a block away.
So instead, for my birthday, Lewie bought me a dozen fertilized eggs for a clucky chook to sit on. They came from someone who loves her chooks. No purebreeds but a variety of breeds and crosses, and four different roosters. The eggs were every size and colour. Eight hatched, one had trouble getting out of the egg and only survived a day, so we have seven chicks, four various shades of yellow, one brown, two black, and I am very excited to see what they turn out to be.
Last time we had chickens, only two hatched and they went to preschool for a few days and were a ginormous hit with the kids. We worried a little that it would be traumatic for the chicks but the kids were so gentle and enthralled, and it is lovely to watch urban kids learning about empathy to other species.
So these chicks now a week old, have gone to preschool for the week too, with their mama and a bucket of chicken feed. Here’s hoping they enjoy the experience as much as the kids.
