Chicken Stu

Stu currently holds the position as the rooster for the laying flock at the Genuine Faux Farm.  He is an Americauna rooster and has an impressive mane of feathers around his neck.  He can extend his neck to a surprising length and can make himself appear to be much larger than he is by standing tall and extending his neck and wings.  Stu made his first official appearance on the blog in the Henlet - A Sililoquy blog from last October. He is completing his first full year as the Barnyard Supervisor at the Genuine Faux Farm.

Stu follows a long line of ... distinguished?   Well, let's just say there have been other roosters that have gone before and their quality has run the gamut.  Harold and Bob were both decent Barnyard Managers.  Harold even wrote for us in 2014.  The most notorious rooster on the farm would likely have been Kronk, who would wait until the farmers would turn their backs before charging them - intent on bodily harm.  Kronk never did figure out our trick to put a shovel behind the back or our legs to protect ourselves.

Without further ado - let's turn this blog over to Stu.

A Star is Born

Hello.  My name is Stu and you can call me Stu, for short.  The Fuzzy Guy with the Red Top is fond of calling me Stew and I fail to see why that is funny.  But, you have to tolerate him because he does bring us food and water  Though, if I had my druthers, Pretty Lady (we learned her name from Crazy Maurice) should always feed us.  We like her.

I especially like her because she seems to appreciate my singing.  As you can tell, I have been working on my image as a rockstar rooster.  I've got the mullet for it, I've got the attitude, AND I've got the voice.

The acoustics in Home Base (*see note below) are pretty good for a decent concert and I really love to belt a few notes out to impress whichever farmer might be nearby.  I find that I can really project when I take in a good puff of air and then extend my neck on the exhale!  Add to that my perfect pitch and you've got to like what you hear!

*note - Home Base is the Hen Room in the Poultry Pavilion at the Genuine Faux Farm.  This is where the hens (and Stu) go every evening so they are kept safe from predators at night.  They are then given access to pasture from this room each morning.

I am particularly fond of singing when the stage lighting comes on and goes off at the beginning and end of the day (*see next note).  I know that might sound odd to you since one usually associates a performance under the bright lights of the stage.  But, I find that the drama brought about by the change from "no light" to "light" or "light" to "no light" inspires me to compose a new song on the spot.  

Of course, I am not above singing for a mid-day concert or at any other point when the mood strikes.  But, I do feel that the transition from light to dark and vice versa is when I am at my best.   

Perhaps you will come to one of my concerts some day.  I assure you, I will hit every note - some of them more than once.  I just wish my back-up singers (the hens) could get their acts together.  I did notice a new singing group last night that did pretty well, I wonder if we could work together. (Stu is referencing the frogs singing last evening).

*note - the Hen Room has some lights that are on timers to come on in the morning and go off at night.  Stu regales us with his concerts at each of these moments every day.

If I could just get Pretty Lady to arrange that recording gig, I just know I could reach the top of the charts.

Well, that's about all I've got.  Time to groom my feathers and try a new tune out in the pasture.