Remember Spartacus? He was the last Cock-o-the Walk here on Amber Oaks Ranch. He passed recently, choosing to fall on his sword to avoid being booted from the top spot; he'd become too aggressive and was no longer suited to his post. His departure left a vacancy in leadership, and we didn't have much doubt about who would step in. Spartacus was mentoring two other roosters, Rocky and Bullwinkle, who were a bit younger than Spartacus. (They were brought on board to help with the Mexican Eagle problem we were having a while back.) They've both been pretty low key fellows, not challenging Spartacus or being pushy with the ladies.

When they arrived on farm they were approximately the same size, but Rocky quickly outshone his partner in both size and character. We were sure he'd be the one to step up and protect the flock and we weren't disappointed.

 Not only did he establish a firm leadership, he did it with little aggression or fanfare. What was truly impressive, though, was the change in his appearance. I don't know if it's hormonal or something similar, but after stepping into his new leadership role,  Rocky seemed to morph from Rocky J. Squirrel to Rocky Balboa overnight. (que theme music). His feathers grew fluffier, more numerous, and more colorful, his size seemed to double, his comb grew larger and redder, and he grew ankle feathers. With Spartacus out of the picture, Rocky exploded onto the scene and declared victory.

The only concern I have is that he isn't as actively engaged with the hens who wander farther out. He tends to stay near the egg mobile and the barn. We'll see how he does. Hopefully, he learned from Spartacus' mistakes and will be around for a long time.