Cuckoo Marans Rooster, part 1

My not exactly computer savvy self is trying to learn all by myself how to add pictures and play with fonts, etc. Easier said than done.

I didn't plan to have a rooster with the chickens, but since this is a joint venture, sometimes things happen that weren't what I had in mind. So far, that hasn't been a bad thing, just different that I'd thought. D was given a rooster. He looks very much like a Dominique, which is an old, rare breed. But he isn't a Dominicker. I honestly thought someone was making up "cuckamaran" at first, but it is a real breed of chicken. He's a Cuckoo Marans. From what I've read online so far, they were developed in Marans, France in the mid 1800's. Marans is about 10 miles northeast of the port of La Rochelle in Southwestern France. There are 4 varieties, all rare -from my viewpoint, all rather expensive. So even though I could find it desirable to have hens like him, that's not going to be an immediate thing.

D calls him Mister. He's a big bird, easily 18" tall, maybe 15 lbs. He's pretty mellow; very easy to handle, and gentle with the hens. I hadn't heard him crow before last Saturday, and that was a territorial thing in response to a small hawk. It's maybe 2/3 the size of a crow; I doubt it's much threat to the big chickens, but Mister has the right idea. He doesn't much like it when I do things like separate his hens to clip wings, or do his, but all he does is turn his back on me and grumble. Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a way to translate chicken into English or French - he's probably cussing under his breath, and I'd understand.