Crowing and Clucking in the Barnyard

Could there be a sound more evocative of a country farm than the crowing of a rooster?  Here’s an Araucanus rooster giving it his all for the morning announcement.
Whether you’re a diehard chicken fan or simply curious (like me), the barnyard at Hundred Acre Farm in Madison, Georgia is a great place to visit.  This quaint farm setting is home to about 200 chickens plus ducks, turkeys, peacocks, horses, goats, dogs, a donkey and probably others I didn’t even see.  The chickens are raised “free range” with the ability to roam from the chicken roost to the green pastures.  In fact, you’ll want to drive slowly along the farm’s main driveway to avoid chickens crossing the road to get to the other side (Sorry… I just couldn’t resist referencing that age-old riddle!).
One of the most interesting aspects of the flock at Hundred Acre Farm is the variety of chickens.  I’m no chicken expert but according to the folks at the Farmhouse Inn (Thank you Kristen and Crystal!) there are actually about 8 different breeds.  I’d like to share some examples in today’s post.
According to the Backyard Poultry website, Rhode Island Reds are “one of the most popular breeds in the United States for good reason. … [they] are great layers of brown eggs and … raised for both eggs and meat.”  This showy rooster is a Rhode Island Red.
Of course, it takes some effort to look this good!  Here’s the rooster preening himself.  Preening is a form of grooming that helps release new feathers from their sheaths, remove debris and pests, and distribute oil over the feathers.
But the Rhode Island Red isn’t the only handsome gentleman in this barnyard.  The Brahma chicken, in Light, Dark or Buff colored varieties, is noteworthy for its large size.  It is “often described as “The King of Chickens,” says the Backyard Poultry website.  Here’s a beautiful Buff Brahma rooster proudly strutting his stuff.
Thanks to the Backyard Poultry website, I’ve learned that roosters serve a few purposes.  The most obvious is breeding.  “One good reason to have a rooster is that you want chicks! Hens don’t need a rooster in the flock to lay eggs, but they do need a rooster in the flock to lay fertile eggs.”  Roosters can also serve to protect the flock, be raised as livestock for meat, or, rather surprisingly, become family pets.
Apparently, temperament varies from chicken breed to chicken breed and from individual bird to individual bird.  For instance: “Feathered behemoths are typically very docile, even though they may appear quite imposing. Usually the bigger the bird, the more laid back their chickenality is.”  Chickenality?  Chickens have personalities?  Who knew?
At one point, I spotted a rooster getting a sip of water directly from a water hose drip.  It wasn’t clear to me whether he was demonstrating his fun-loving, playful personality or he was simply thirsty!

There’s one variety of chicken at Hundred Acre Farm that clearly stands out—the Poland chicken.  Check out these barnyard rock stars!  First the Polish rooster and then the Polish hen.


Roosters may rule the roost but hens have an important role to play.  As the late Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was fond of saying “The cock may crow but it’s the hen who lays the egg.”  In this next photo, Golden Comet hens are checking out the nesting boxes before making their choice for today’s egg delivery.  The eggs are collected daily and served for breakfast at the Farmhouse Inn.  You can’t get fresher eggs than that!

The egg laying area is off limits to visitors.  This guy may not have read the sign but he clearly got the message!
Other female duties include raising the young.  This DeKalb Amberlinks mother hen was watching over her chicks in the barn.  Hens, are said to, guard their chicks fiercely.
Eventually, Mom led the kids out of the barn…
……and out to the field.  Unlike some birds, mother hens don’t feed their chicks directly.  Instead they lead them to food and water and call them towards edible items.
While the chickens are busy earning their keep, there are other barnyard residents who merely have to look good like this handsome peacock…

…or look bad like this male turkey!   Gosh, that is one scary face!
Luckily, a female turkey sees it differently and finds those fleshy outgrowths on the turkey’s head and throat, called caruncles, rather attractive.  At least that’s what I read into this description from Wikipedia “In anatomical terms, the snood is an erectile, fleshy protuberance on the forehead of turkeys. Most of the time when the turkey is in a relaxed state, the snood is pale and 2–3 cm long. However, when the male begins strutting (the courtship display), the snood engorges with blood, becomes redder and elongates several centimetres, hanging well below the beak…”
I’m really glad I was able to visit the barnyard at Hundred Acre Farm.  It was both entertaining and educational!

More Info

Special thanks to the folks at the Farmhouse Inn at Hundred Acre Farm in Madison, Georgia!  You can learn more about this peaceful country retreat on the Farmhouse Inn website  or in my previous post about their River Trail Forest Therapy Trail in the post Shinrin-yoku, Forest Therapy or Deliberate Dawdling?
The Backyard Poultry website provides a wealth of information.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider visiting a local farm or homestead.
2. Delve into the story behind a casual observation.
3. Barnyards can be both entertaining and educational.