After letting the rooster rest in the refrigerator for a couple of days, I turned him into stock and used the stock and some of the breast meat to make a memorial dinner. I was going to use just his meat, but most of it was too tough, so I added some commercial chicken breasts.
I used paprika to get that red color–matching his feathers, with spinach standing in for his iridescent green tail. Lots of chopped, sautéed veges to thicken the broth. We drank a toast, lit candles, and said a few words commemorating his bravery and loyalty. On her way home, one of the guests saw a fox crossing the road!
I had spent two days doing my best to fox-proof the chicken run, stapling bird net in a looping arc from the top of the fence outward. We’ll see. Now it’s time to wait to see if we get a rooster offspring from the eggs under the broody hen.
On another note, a reader sent this link to a Public Television biography of Robinson Jeffers. She titled it “Ascots and Creakiness,” which aptly describes it!
“The slogan of Hell: Eat or be eaten. The slogan of Heaven: Eat and be eaten.”
― W.H. Auden, A Certain World: A Commonplace Book
ST-C
I like it!
Loved the piece on Malawi, perhaps all the more as I’m contemplating raising chickens. I was hoping to visit to see your setup and get advice on what type of chicken to get. Jorge came to help me last Sunday and mentioned that he was with you on Saturday. When I referred to your blog on the rooster, he said that was why he was there! Now I fear getting too attached. A neighbor also told the story of hand-feeding her aged chicken when he was ill to prolong his life just a bit longer. We have only raccoons to my knowledge (and two cats), but I would hate to have them attacked. You paid tribute to Malawi in a very apt way!!
Love to have you come by, Diane, just let me know when. Raccoons are clever, with their little opposable thumbs, and fierce, but a good coop will keep them away. My mistake was letting the chickens out too early.