We have a lot of roosters at Chicken Paradise. Some were raised by people who thought they were hens. Some couldn’t be kept anymore after neighbors complained. Others were caught because they were “too loud.” Hawaii also has lots of feral chickens, and many of ours used to be feral too. Today I’d like to introduce a few of our wonderful boys.
A few of the gentlemen
Charles was a stray chick in town who got separated from his mother and ran straight up to me as if to say, “Please help me!” He grew so slowly that I worried, but he became a beautiful adult. He walks up to my feet or jumps onto my shoulder to be petted — a bit like a cat. He dislikes drama and is a sweet talker who never quite stopped being a baby.
Tsuyoshi turned up out of nowhere as a young chick in June 2022, with no parents. We called him our “prospective tenant.” His left leg was hurt from the day we met, and I couldn’t fully heal it, but I’m so glad he chose us. He’s four now, big and tough, prefers hanging out with the boys, and is best friends with Inazuma and Anthony Jr. He can still fly and lives freely.
Marron was a tiny chick chirping alone in a parking lot. Our late leader, Taro, took gentle care of him — that’s when I first learned some roosters love babies. Peach has been here since he was about a month old, and Kenta the Leghorn, blind in one eye, was a leftover chick at a store. Several others, like Tsubasa and Jaian, were sold as hens and turned out to be roosters.
How the peace is kept
People often ask whether so many roosters fight all the time. There’s no magic fix; I learn about chickens from the chickens, and wild chickens are my role models. My very first rooster, the great Heart, a wild rooster, small but fierce and smart, kept the peace among more than 200 birds. Now that job is mine. A leader’s work is to watch closely, act quickly, and earn trust and respect.
Chickens recognize each other as individuals, so they don’t need to keep fighting birds they see every day. When a newcomer causes trouble that drags on, I step in — but often another rooster gets there first, or Fifi the goose, who is much bigger than the chickens, breaks it up.
Second chances
As a youngster, Shizuku escaped constantly and fought anyone who met his eye. So I gave him a job caring for hens who struggled to fit in. Little by little he learned social skills, and now he gets along with everyone. Flute recently retired as leader, so he now looks after a newly rescued bird; strong roosters can lose heart when they lose their rank, so I give them a new job quickly.
We didn’t know that before. Heart sensed his own decline, stepped down quietly without a fight, and then his life came to an end. I never want to say goodbye like that again. Spade, Grey’s grandson, looks just like young Heart.
Roosters have kicked me plenty, but with patience they accepted me as their leader. They’re loyal and affectionate, and I love their crowing. Thank you for watching!