Around Wednesday of last week, I noticed Roosty wasn't acting like his normal self. He was staying away from everyone and just standing with his head hanging down. On Thursday he was so bad that I decided to bring him into the house to try to figure out what was wrong. By Friday morning, he was lying down and not moving at all. I noticed his breathing was very shallow and I had a feeling that he wasn't going to make it through the day. I stayed with him as long as I could, but I had to go to work. So I said my goodbyes and left him. He was gone by the time I got home that night.
Roosty was supposed to be a girl. We got him at our local feed store in a bin labeled "pullets." But since chick sexing isn't 100% accurate, occasionally a boy gets thrown in the mix as well. At first we were disappointed, but he turned out to be such a sweet boy and fit into the flock well since he was submissive to our head rooster, Cam.
I told David the other day that I am really thankful that we got Roosty, because if someone else got him expecting a girl, when he turned out to be a boy they may have gotten rid of him. I feel like it was meant to be for us to bring him home.
The one thing that homesteading has taught me which I didn't really expect, is to appreciate the moment because you never know when things will change. With keeping animals, you have to expect that you will lose them at some point. It's one thing to say you realize that, but it's another to actually live it and experience it firsthand. Through all our losses, I am reminded that time with those we love, whether human or animal, is a gift and we need to appreciate it every day.
Homesteading isn't all sunshine and roses, even though sometimes to an outsider it may appear that way. I choose to focus on the positive because that's just my personality, but I feel that it is important to also write about the disappointments because those are just as much a part of the journey as the good times.
~Tammy
he was a cute boy. i'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteMy sincerest condolences for the loss of Roosty. How wonderful though that you were able to give him a happy and loving life. You can always be so proud of that :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so true, the losses are as much a part of it as the new chicks in spring and wobbly-legged babies. It's very tough to lose them, but so great to enjoy them as long as we can. Sorry for the loss of your Roosty friend.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss, they become part of your family so it hard. Hugs Anesha
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean Tammy.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss as I know he was part of your farm family.
He was a beautiful rooster for sure and had a great Roo life at your farm for certain.
Aww, so sorry to hear about Roosty.
ReplyDelete"Through all our losses, I am reminded that time with those we love, whether human or animal, is a gift and we need to appreciate it every day." Such lovely and real words Tammy.
Wishing you a peaceful weekend.
xoxo
Oh Tammy! I am so sorry about Roosty.. that is one of the things that I would dread with a coop.. loses! I know it is part of nature and to be expected but still not easy.. I appreciate all your posts and I learn so much..Keep it up my dear friend... keep on keeping on with your homestead.. it encourages me to see a young couple so determined to live this way... Nothing but blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteNot many people realise the secrets you have, that the disappointments and even terrible things are just as much a part of the journey through life as those positive things you prefer to focus on. Goodbye, Roooosty Rooooo.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about Roosty. It's so easy to get attached, but never easy to lose them.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I am sorry about Roosty. It sounds like he was definitley meant to be with you guys. You gave him a loving home and took good care of him!
ReplyDeleteOh no!! I'm so sorry...:( He had a good life while it lasted.....life on a farm is not always happy but that is part of life. Hugs!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry that you lost Roosty. He really does sound like he was an awesome Rooster! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwww, sweet boy. You were blessed to have each other, even for such a short time. You gave him a loving home. That counts for a lot. Blessings...
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing with us about Roosty. I am so happy that he came home with you two and had a happy life. It is very hard to say goodbye, but we know we have to. Your post is a good lesson on living life to its fullest and enjoying every day. Always a delight to visit with you here.
ReplyDeleteOh, Tammy :(
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about Roosty.
Sending hugs xxxx
Homesteading isn't all sunshine and roses. A perfectly true sentence
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you lost your rooster, Tammy. He had a caring home while he was with you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry Tammy. His passing would break my heart, too. Deb
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comment ~ homesteading is not all sunshine and roses. I grew up on a dairy farm. You learn very quick how one day can change everything.
ReplyDeleteYou have to take in the good, bad and ugly.
And I love your positive attitude, it shines in through your blog.
I am sorry for the loss. I know how it feels.
oh i'm so sorry...roosty was sure handsome and you gave him such a great life...hugs!
ReplyDeleteHe was very handsome. You are so right, it isn't all sunshine and roses but thankfully most of the time sweetness prevails.
ReplyDeleteTake care
Tracy
Sorry to read about the loss of Roosty. What a beauty he was! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteTammy, this is such a beautiful post and tribute to little Roosty (ok, not so little) ;) I love his sweet pictures and the emotion you shared in this post. He will never be forgotten, I know that for certain! So sorry.
ReplyDeleteYour right my sweet friend. With the good we have to learn from the bad > I am so sorry to hear of ROOSTY … hugs and blessings as always .
ReplyDeleteOh Tammy, I'm truly sorry. Sending you some hugs.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about this. You are right about having a farmstead. It is hard and there are a lot of heartbreaks.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry Tammy I understand why you are saying it can be hard but to not do something because it will be hard sometimes is not the way to go. He had a very good life and that is because of you both. Yes it is not all sunshine and roses but worth the tears sometimes.Take care Hug B
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about how you are as a person and what you choose to blog about and with animals come a little sadness. I'm sure Roosty was beloved and I'm sure he was meant for you and I'm also pretty sure he led a very happy and full life. I am sorry though-it's never easy. Xo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rooster, sorry for your loss. I think its important to share the hard times and the good :)
ReplyDelete:( So sorry to hear. What a sweetheart. I'm sure he had such a great life with you and he was fortunate. It definitely is a very sad reality that these things happen, and all good things- like chickens- must come to an end at some point, often too soon :(.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you!
xErin
http://yellowbirchhobbyfarm.blogspot.com
Tammy, I am so sorry for your loss. You and the flock will miss him.
ReplyDeleteOh Tammy... It's just as hard reading about one of your losses, as it is going through it myself. Any loss of life is sad, and like you said we need to appreciate every day. Sometimes I wonder if I want to keep adding other animals or chickens since the loss is just so hard, but the joy they bring make it all worth while :)
ReplyDeleteOh Tammy, I am so sorry. Growing up we had chickens and I had forgotten about how much personality they have until I started following your site. Wish you the best.
ReplyDeleteBelas fotografias...Espectacular....
ReplyDeleteCumprimentos
Sorry you lost your rooster :(
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about Roosty. It's hard to lose an animal even if they aren't pets. Maybe I'm not cut out for the homesteading life...i'll cry when something happens to my ladies.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the loss of your beloved rooster.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about Roosty.
ReplyDeleteOh Tammy I am so sorry and I DO understand the feeling of loss as this year I've had a couple .. with my Springer Ginger passing away three weeks ago. Animals are essential (in my opinion) for our well being. The catch is they don't live NEARLY long enough and it's so hard to loose them.
ReplyDeleteTake care and as time passes our sadness wanes.
xxleslie
Tammy, I am so sorry to hear about Roosty.. He was cute. I guess you have to take the good with the bad at times.. At least you have happy memories.. Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteSorry about Roosty. He was a handsome guy and I know you miss him.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about Roosty - lucky he choose your family to be with! Little soul
ReplyDeletex
I'm sorry Tammy to hear about Roosty. You're so right when you say t's not all sunshine and roses. The losses are so hard and I am not good with that part at all... But the everyday love and moments outweigh the sadness for me over time. Sending you BIG hugs.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your Roosty. :(
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear about Roosty. We will miss him on Friday's post. Do you have any idea what might have been wrong. Are any other of your feathered friends ill?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about Roosty. It is never easy to lose our farm friends. I lost one of my hens last month, she was the last of my original chickens and was pretty old.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to hear about Roosty. Animals bring so much joy into our lives, but they also leave far too soon. It's a part of life, but it doesn't make it any easier. Sending positive thoughts your way :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a handsome guy! I bet he loved his time with you. What a sweet rooster friend! Looks like he found the perfect home. I know you will miss him. Also, I am most certain there will be more roosters for you to care about and love!
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you as they become our pets even if they are considered farm animals and not house pets. Yes, he was meant to be with you guys and you have him a blessed home. Maybe GOD has another one coming soon to grace your farm again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your prayers, they are a blessing. GOD keep you all safe.
Oh I am so sorry for your loss. It is so hard losing them....sounds like you gave him such a good home and lots of love!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to read this but I truly love your outlook. We have 4 girls that are quite old for chickens and everyday I try to remember gratitude that they are still with us. This is the part of raising animals that's so difficult, isn't it?
ReplyDeletehe is a fine fellow. we got a rooster by mistake as well. he was the sweetest of the bunch but we had to take him back to the lady we bought the hens from. She was so happy to get him back - she was in need of a male for her female. So I'm sure he is doing fine - probably loving on his lady all the time.
ReplyDeleteLong story short...I'm sorry to hear about Roosty Roo.
It is good that you focus on the positive side of things.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you lost Roosty. But it looks like you really gave her a good home. It is always hard to lose a pet.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about Roosty and I'm happy you were able to bring him home and he could spend some quality time with you and the family. Here's to a great week ahead and may your memories be great and always with you.
ReplyDeleteAw, Tammy. I'm so sorry to hear about Roosty. I think you wrote beautifully here, and really hit home about being stewards of domestic animals.
ReplyDeleteOur McGee, RIGHT after posting about his 6th birthday on my blog, couldn't get up one day (I want to say it was just a day or two after his birthday.) I'm so used to him acting like a spry pup.. it had me so worried & facing the honest truth about animals - that they age faster than we do. He's doing much better, but not the same old boy he was.
We had a sad day just over a week ago.. after caring for her chickens so well every day of this nasty winter, Lilly came in that afternoon crying. She had found her Lucy (her favorite) not alive.
Broke my heart to see her heart so hurt! I feel so bad, I think it was the extreme cold. It was such a bummer, because here it was, March, after making it through such a long hard winter so well. She was well cared for & had made it through so much, we don't know what happened. The same night, one of the kids gold fish that we've had for a year, Victoria, died. I hadn't written or shared about that sad day yet.
Roosty was lucky to have you guys.
I'm so sorry about Roosty Roo, Tammy. Our feathered and furry friends sure find a way into our hearts. Big hugs.
ReplyDeleteDang...so sorry about Roosty....you're right, it's a fact of life that animals die, but the farewells still hurt. Every time.
ReplyDeleteChickens like to break your heart, maybe it's easier in the country but there is a high loss rate in the city here, a disease just sweeps through the neighbourhood and takes them all one by one. A few months a go someone stole our chicken 'blind', I don't like to think what happened to her. But the rewards out win the disappointments huh?
ReplyDeleteOh so sorry Tammy to hear of your loss , animals come and go in our lives and sometimes so quickly. You have some lovely pictures here to treasure.
ReplyDeleteTake Care
Sheila x
I shed a little tear for you and your friend Roosty when I read this. Every day we have with our feathered friends is a joy, as they leave us so quickly. I remember when you posted about getting these little ones as chicks, and you're happy acceptance of his developing boy-hood. The sadness just makes us want to have the joys all over again because the feelings are deep as well as good.
ReplyDeleteOh Tammy - so sorry to read about Roosty!! It is amazing how much our little friends mean to us and how they make us who we are!! He was certainly a large beautiful rooster. Hopefully he helped to spread a little of himself in the chicks that you will be hatching!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and rich homesteading life you and your husband have. You will always have good times and difficult times!! But you're very positive and build on the difficult times as well as the good times.!
So sorry about Roosty. Animals can become such a part of our families and enrich us so much!
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