Soon fall will arrive. It has been a busy summer with strength training, baseball, jobs, new business, and baby chick-raising. The transitions happen, summer activities end, baby chicks grow. My new pullets have moved into the coop with the existing flock. In order for this to happen, there were some maintenance duties to take care of with the old guys. I had to rid them of parasites internal and external in hopes that everyone with "start clean". To this end, I decided that my son and I would bathe the old birds, which was an adventure in itself. While doing this, I discovered something "yucky" on my old rooster, Snake-eyes. It looked to be a big weird cystic thing. I cleaned it up and hoped for the best. Yesterday, weeks after the bath, I caught old Snake-eyes expecting to see him healed and ready for winter. What I found instead was an even bigger bulge on his backside and I have decided that it is a tumor and it IS what will hasten his demise.
I have noticed that his son, the new rooster (as yet unamed) has become bolder of late. Now I realize it will soon be the changing of the guard. The younger rooster will take over the flock and the older one, Snake eyes will slowly fade. We have had our differences, Old Snake-eyes and I, but it is sad to think of the coop without his beautiful glossy greenish black plumage and his clear, loud, crow. I am gonna make him comfortable until it is time. You are a good rooster Snakey.
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