Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Name That Rooster

I took this photo of my white rooster the other day while he was treading through the snow. He escaped the pen about a month ago and I haven’t made him go back in. I have a feeling that there is a rooster conflict brewing in the chicken pen. It can get pretty ugly in the springtime in roosterville. They will fight each other to the death in order to determine the top rooster of the coop. This guy is friendly and so I let him live in the mudroom for the rest of the winter. Chicken poop aside, it’s harmless and he is happy. At least he knows to stay in and away from the raccoons.

I love how this photo turned out. Although it is all white except for the rooster's comb, beak, and eyes, I thought it was a great example of how many shades of white there are in the spectrum. I tend to shy away from white as a design element in my knitwear – it’s a bit too boring and sterile for me. This photo shows how white can be cool and blue like the layers of the snow but that white can be warm and yellowy like the roosters feathers. At any rate, he is a majestic bird.

A while ago, I read somewhere, either in one of our farming mags or on Jon Katz’ Farm Journal Blog, that vets will often ask their clients if their farm animals have names upon arriving for some kind of treatment. The general assumption is that if the animals are called by numbers, the owners aren’t quite so emotionally invested in their animals. If they have names, then perhaps the owners are incredibly attached to their livestock. I have thought about this a lot over the past few months.

We gave up naming our farm animals years ago. Once in a while, a new animal who we buy or raise as a bottle lamb will end up with a name. "Jeremy" the guard llama came with his name. Julia raised and named Cora the bottle lamb last winter. She certainly has grown into her name and become quite a personality. Most of the time, our bottle lambs end up being called the generic “lambo” or “lamby-pie.” Generally, we don’t get too attached to our farm animals although we take good care of them and appreciate each and everyone.

Today, I decided that since this rooster is so nice and since he has attached himself to outside of the coop life, he should have a name. I’m wondering if you all have any ideas.

Send your rooster names to me at kristinnicholasATgmailDOTcom

You can also leave your ideas in the comments section (it will be a little harder for me to get a hold of you that way though if your name wins!)

The reader whose name we adopt for the rooster will get a gift from me. The deadline is April 9th – next Wednesday.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

I submit: John Quincy Adams
http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Washington-Johnson/Adams-John-Quincy.html

The sweep of feathers on yon rooster's neck reminds me of JQA's sideburns, similar beaks and beady eyes.
JQA was a successful, independent man who served his country best when NOT president, not that he was a bad pres, he just did a better job in other positions, Senator for Massachusetts, Secretary of State, etc. Seems to fit since this guy doesn't look like he'll ever rule the roost.
Just funny little thoughts :)
Sara

Partly Cloudy Knitter said...

I just thought everyone named their farm animals. When we were little, we helped my great-uncle name his diary herd. I don't know how many he had, but it seemed like a million then. Probably about 50. And he called each of them by name!
Cathy in MN

Anonymous said...

I have had a couple chickens like that, the ones who shun the general population and strike out on their own.

First was "Chicken," a generic white rooster like yours. He decided to sleep in a tree nightly, and would hang out in the goat pastures and gladly accompany any hen who came to visit, showing her where all the good treats were. Sadly, something found him in the tree one night and we lost him.

Bo, a hen, was named such because as a pullet, she struck out on her own and shadowed the sheep (Little Bo Peep). She would nap with them during the day, and always graze where they did. She has been assimilated into coop life (day ranging daily).

Bug is a generic white rooster who hangs out on his own too. But he is still happy to chaperone any hens who want accompaniment during the day. He is named Bug because the pupils of his eyes do not dilate and are always on the small side. He sees fine but no so much as it gets dark. He gets very vocal when given treats, and has a very distinct crow (actually Chicken did too).

Your rooster has very remarkable sickle feathers, like a leghorn might. I usually name my birds after a physical or character trait. Without much to go on with this guy, I would name him Reaper. It's a word association, a far far stretch from those beautiful sickle feathers. :)

Annie said...

I love naming roosters -- they all seem like self-important old men and this guy is no different. Call him "The Colonel!"

Anonymous said...

I vote for Theodore, as in Roosevelt. He has that "take the hill" look in his eyes.

Regarding knitting with white: your entry reminds me that I have a plan to do gloves from Kristin Knits in shades of natural, white, grey and black. I was inspired by the your shots of the flock.

Elaine said...

How about snowdrop? They come up through the snow, and are white but distinct from the snow, with just a bit of color.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if you are a native to Mass but perhaps you have heard of Whitey Bulger. Your rooster reminds me of him. Not that your rooster looks like a gangster but that he seems to blend in and stand out at the same time. Whitey was very very good at that and still is (over 10 yrs on the FBI most wanted list) This rooster sounds like he adapts to what ever is going on....if the hen house is too much...take it on the lam and find a place to hide (the mud room) Good luck finding a name.

Anonymous said...

He definately looks like a Blanco to me! You make me think about all my farm animals growing up. Percy was the goose that became my pet when a horse stepped on his foot and lamed him for life. The goats always had what I called 'farmwife' names. Ethel, Rosie, Thelma and Louise (they broke out constantly until Louise got hit by a car).

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

The name I suggest is White Shadow, which was my first impression of the photo. He's a handsome fella.

Wendy said...

His photo reminds me of a Russian spy so I would name him Nicoli.

Melissa Morgan-Oakes said...

He has a marvelously proud face.
We have three votes -
Girl (my kid) says "Manhattan", Manny for short.
Girl's friend Julia Grace says "Lewis N. Cluck" (no idea why.)
I like "Virgil", personally.

I name mine so randomly. Rooster-wise we've had Plush, Napoleon (recently taken out by hawk, he was TEN years old), Bed Head, Franc. We also had King Tut, who turned out to be a hen and is now called Tuttaroo.

Unknown said...

My initial thought was Colonel Sanders or KFC - but those are kind of gruesome names for a rooster.

How about Foghorn after Foghorn Leghorn? He was an adventurous rooster too!

Zoe said...

When I had hens as a teenager I named them Dior, Zeebe and Big Bird. My rooster was named Mr Speckles.

I think you should name him Charles.

Willow said...

The Marine at my house says to call him "The Kaiser" or "Otto" for short.
MamaMia said "Bemjamin" after Benjamin Franklin.
I say "Snowball" because he's white like a snowball.

Patricia said...

Rocket the rooster,or rocky, I don't know why, I don't have any chickens, but he needs a fun name.

The Sick Chick said...

He looks like a Jack Frost to me :)

Bea said...

I love Jon Katz's farm blog. I just popped over because I heard about the contest. I'm not sure what to call your rooster but I think I'll stick around a read a while.

Cheers,
Bea

Turtle said...

Hmmm, well you do live a natural life style on the farm, you live in Mass....White Whitman (a play on Walt's name) Of course he could be Whitman for short, but in the event of formalities...seeing he IS a rooster after all, head man in the roost! Always love reading what you are up to, missing new england and wishing hubby wasn't such a city boy! (the effects of a farm girl marrying city *grin)

Cher said...

This is silly, but I like Bertram.
Bertie for short. (As in "Bertie Wooster.")
(Ba-dum-BUM! I'll be here all week.)

Moorecat said...

The two main roosters from "Chicken Run" were Rocky and Fowler.

I also like the fact that he shelters in your mud room. Is that where you keep your boots? In that case, how about Wellington?

We always had the rule that if a farm animal had a name, it would never end up on the table :P

Anonymous said...

For some unknown reason the name "Gerald" came to me when I looked at the picture.

Bianca said...

Knut...like the little polar bear in the Berlin ZOO. :-) It has something Scandinavian

Anonymous said...

You could name him after the proud Mr. Darcy? (I've been reading Jane Austen this winter!)

Anonymous said...

Living in Colorado I think a large white roaming rooster should be named Avalanche. gilli

Anonymous said...

He is such a proud, feisty looking rooster!

How about Bartram? It's a serious name and Bartram was a naturalist.

I can be contacted through Ravelry.
JackieCastsOn

Senja said...

What a clever rooster to leave where he is not welcome and manage to get himself a warm mudroom to live in! I think a rooster who is such an independent spirit should have a name which is a symbol of knitting independence. I think he should be Zimm in honor of Elizabeth Zimmermann the original independant knitter.

I am ImagineKnit on Ravelry.

I love your picture of him.

Anonymous said...

No, no, no. There's only one name for such a proud, adventurous, do-it-MY-way rooster - "Bond, James Bond". LOL

hummingbird94501@yahoo.com

The Frampers said...

I vote for Bernie. Don't ask me why. It's familiar but kind of an old name. Do you think this rooster is like the Seinfeld's bee from The Bee Movie? Maybe he wants to leave the "hive" and live in the human world as well.

Anonymous said...

Ondori is Japanese for rooster...he looks like he would like that name!!

Unknown said...

Rumpelstiltskin!

I have no idea why. That just popped into my head when I saw him. Something about the white of his feathers...the dwarfs white beard. Spinning straw into gold...yarn. And the whole naming/guessing his name thing...

Kristin, I've been a fan of your blog for a while, but this is my first comment. As a former New Englander (who also once kept sheep) transplanted temporarily to urban California, I love reading about your farming (and knitting of course!) adventures. Thanks!

s said...

I kind of like Bertram, too. And Theodore is nice, but how about Roosevelt? He looks so stately... I'm going to think on this a spell.

Anonymous said...

I love naming things...it's a quirk! Here goes:

Rouxster

Gregory Peck

Cogburn

SYLVIE said...

He reminds me of the rooster in the old cartoons, Foghorn Leghorn, that's the first thing I thought of when I saw him.

Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foghorn_Leghorn

Fluffy said...

Harvey. That's what Nanny called Pop even though his name was James. She would have loved it.

Anonymous said...

We had a rhode island red named Sebastian when I was a kid, he was a mean sucker,but gorgeous plumage, and always flew at my friend Becky (I think it was her glasses he didn't like).
kierendutcher.com

Anonymous said...

E.B. White, of course.

Katie said...

My first thought was Sebastian, but it seems that someone has already had that idea, and I have no idea why, he just looked like a Sebastian!
However as I should be original how about Joey, maybe it will lead to him becoming top rooster with a way with the ladies!

suzzcq70 said...

I propose Fifi or Foofoo, two names my 3 1/2 year old has started calling his baby brother. Ugh!

suzzcq70 at gmail dot com

txknitter said...

Well I think John Quincy Adams is hilarious. I love it when critters have human names. My friend has a Great Dane named Heidi Klum.

Going with the human name theme the first thing that popped in my head was Rhett Butler. Because the rooster stands so proud.

Fantastic picture by the way.

ArtsyAndi said...

I've always loved the name Jasper. :)

Yes... Jasper the Rooster sounds nice... and just the name fitting a gentleman.

kathy b said...

Great picture.

My name for him would be:

Russell Crowe....of course.

Russ, rusty, the red comb.......handsome, you know

Anonymous said...

how about Admiral Croft, from Persuasion?

angelabaker@earthlink.net

OhAmyKP said...

Hi - It came to me this morning on my cummute into work... Victor! Its a strong name and your Rooster cuts a Regal pose in this pic.

Chris said...

Snow White sounds appropriate I am at http://luvtoknitandmuchmore.blogspot.com/ My e-mail is in my profile

Wendy said...

Hello this is my first visit and I just love your blog, I will be back...After reading all the comments and looking for quite awhile at the picture I would have to say that he is a "Prince" So my name for him is Prince....He has his "crown" and he is regal..... my email is basilwendy at Yahoo dot com...
Have a great day

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