Well friends, now that we are mere weeks {days?} from getting our first eggs, and the chickens are starting to show even more personality, we have a fairly good idea of our hen-to-rooster ratio. If you saw the last chicken update, I asked for opinions on whether Pecan was a hen or a rooster. I can now say with some confidence that Pecan is a little rooster.

One morning when I opened the coop, Pecan was first to run out and hopped up on the roof. As I watched the morning feather fluffing, I was quite surprised to see Pecan “strike a pose” and let loose a crow. I actually clapped and told him “what a good boy!” A couple more crows, then Popcorn decided to join the racket. At this point, Mr. came out to see what was going on because “I heard a weird noise.” {It does sound very strange from inside the house}.

It took a little time to get the hang of things, but now every morning Pecan starts crowing before the sun is up. Popcorn generally waits until a little later, he must wake up slower. And they crow off-and-on all day, practicing I suppose – these crows sound very teenaged, y’all. By the end of the day, Pecan sounds screechy, and it’s the most hilarious thing.

In the short, you can hear how different they sound, as well as get a good idea of the size difference between the two. Also: check out how different Popcorn’s feathers are looking! Every day, he has more gold showing up, even a little bit in his Elvis-inspired hairdo. {A discussion at the library one day determined that one of his parents was a Silkie, which explains the hair}. The black and gold, with the deep green shimmer on much of the black, makes me think of an ancient artifact.

Having two roosters may not be ideal, but for now we’re going to see how it goes. I’m determined to have cuddly chickens, or “feathered cats” as I’ve seen them described on Instagram, but it’s so hot that I haven’t been able to hang out with them as much. But this little guy still likes belly rubs, and doesn’t seem to mind being carried around either. {Popcorn has gotten less snuggly, though he still eats from my hand. I plan to work on/with him as soon as it gets cooler}.

Does anyone have experience with multiple roosters? Especially in such a small flock, and with such a stark size difference. In theory, I’ve got a Bantam hen for Pecan, and two larger hens for Popcorn; but Pecan may be crushing on Pippin a little {talk about opposites attract! She is less interested, however}.

Now we wait for egg(s) to appear. I feel like it will be soon: the girls are getting very chatty, which is apparently a sign that egg-laying is close. I will, of course, keep y’all updated!