Last in line has its advantages

Roosters get a bad rap around here. Whenever we try to sell or give away any of our chicks, it's always the same 'no roosters, please'.  We've had to take a few back when little Henrietta hen lets on she's actually Henry.  We've got way too many of course and it's not that we don't love them it's just that in the morning it gets kinda noisy around here.  Fortunately being on property and not so close to neighbours we can see into their kitchen as in our previous life, we can indulge a few of the early morning crowers.  Whomever implied that roosters only crow at sunrise obviously didn't stick around long.  They crow all day long.  It's a method of communicating.  If you listen, you realise they crow in response to another rooster who's sent up the call.  And not necessarily on your property either.  Crossbeak (pictured left) is a perfect example of bucking the trend though.  He's been to the vet and returned with a less protruding beak, and he's managed to accommodate his disfigurement to great advantage.  Quite frankly he knows he's special.  Roosters will generally scratch around for food and alert the hens to their findings.  They'll point out cake crumbs with great excitement and break up the bigger pieces to distribute amongst the girls, without eating any themselves.  However as Crossbeak is never entrusted to a group of hens (they're so judgemental) he pulls out that disabled sticker faster than you can say 'now who likes bacon rind?'  He'll shove any hen aside to get face first into whatever meal is on the go and ignore the protests from rule following roosters in the pack.  He's able to get away with this as he's so far down in line to the throne of head rooster he knows there's no point trying to impress anyone, male or female.  He knows he's special and follows me around the garden.  He'll eat out of my hand and cry blue murder when he's forced to eat with the others.  He's a lucky little fellow as our vet advised us, he was lucky to survive given the way his top beak crosses over the bottom.  He'll always be a special little guy for us.  Even if he'll never be king.