Saga of Pete the Rooster

When Sunwise started raising four chicks this past Spring, no one knew what to expect.  No one, that is, except our neighbor Scarlet's little nephew.  You see, Scarlet was helping us raise the four chicks, and named each one of them according to their color.  Except her nephew insisted this little dark chick be called Pete, despite the supposed near-guarantee that they were all hens.  Well, he knew.

Little Pete grew and grew, and soon none of us could deny that cock-a-doodle-do in the morning or the way he strutted around the coop.  Roosters aren't exactly included in regulations, and his morning habits would soon prove a challenge to many.

We tried many things.  He was carefully boxed up in the coop each night, to be released only at a decent hour.  We spoke to local farms to see if they would take him, but none could promise that more than a stew-pot awaited.  We resigned ourself to his fate and scheduled a good friend to come over and give him the final rites of his kind.

Then on the same day, the student farm replied that they had recently lost their rooster!  Pete was saved! This morning, Derek took the lucky bird to his new home.  Derek writes:

The Pete saga (as far as Sunwise goes) is over. He has had many firsts today:

• first time being caught as an adult
• first time being put in a box
• first time in a car in a box
• first time in a moving car in a box
• first time he did not make any sounds for more than 30 minutes
• first time seeing his new home (Ecological Garden at Student Farm....who knows, maybe you'll hear him if you are on that side of campus)
• first time he gets his wings clipped (I have a feather for each of you)
• first time he takes a crap at his new home
• first time he meets the Student Farm hens
• first time he'll "Cock-a-doodle-doooooo"s on campus

Last time I mention Pete in an email...

Thanks for being patient with our rooster friend!