Jan 31, 2023

Goodbye, Our Midnight the Silver Campine Rooster

Young Midnight around 7 months old

Sadly, we lost him on Christmas Eve, Chuck found him inside the coop that morning. I was so heartbroken.  I held him in my arms hoping and praying he was alive. 😢 
Today we honor one of the best roosters we've ever had.


I know I'm a sentimental lady who loves and names her backyard flock. The exception is most of these black Minorcas they all look alike I can't tell them apart!  

Midnight was a funny character that cried/crowed 'Mama, Mama' to Carly every time she came to see us. This started from the moment we brought him home here. He knew their car and loved them all.  It was funny to see even after he became an adult and stopped crying out 'Mama, Mama' how he would crow his head off for her and the boys' attention!

We all loved him and he loved us.  He was small in stature but quite the courageous fighter, a great protector of his flock.

This sweet boy would crow on command! I found a few videos showing him doing that.

 I'll bet my Granddaddy Goodson is looking down and shaking his head.  What he must think of this granddaughter who names her chickens and never has one on the dinner table. One who keeps them for a long time feeding them in a retirement community after they've done their lifetime duties! Whoa with the cost of feed these days that is a commitment!

We had three extremely cold nights in a row in the teens!  I thought maybe he was just cold, freezing cold, but that wasn't the case.  He was gone.  He is missed that's for sure.


Midnight the Silver Campine Rooster wasn't he a beauty?  
Rooster 'Midnight ~ Nightmare' & the Black Minorca Hens 


A Minorca hen stands nearby. The hens love him and always surround him. Midnight has always been quite the showman, a barnyard king for sure!

This breed is considered a full size but he is so close in size to a bantam. The Minorcas have been perfect hens to put him in with all having the same qualities. They're matched for size and all are so skittish and flighty!  

Silver Campines are a very rare breed and on the critical list for Heritage chickens. 
Today I'm sharing his story and his rare breed information. 

I can still hear his sweet calling 'Mama, Mama' to Carly! He was a very smart rooster and I love that he would crow on command.  We all enjoyed this boy!


Left The Black Minorca, Right The Ameraucana or Welsummer hen 
(she's molting so it's hard for me to tell here. I had both breeds in the pen similar in color)

The grandsons named him 'Midnight Nightmare'.  In time he became just 'Midnight'. 

I got him at a farm supply store nearby and he was a sight to behold!  Such a beautiful rooster! 

He was a petite full-sized rooster but was very courageous!  He fought hard battles protecting his flock in the barnyard.  He always protected his ladies and lost quite a few feathers but never did he run away.

Silver Campines Facebook Page

There are two official varieties of this breed the Gold and Silver Campine.  The hens lay medium-sized white eggs. They originated in Belgium. Campines are a rare Heritage breed and are on the critical list. You can learn more about them at the Livestock Conservancy


More Recent Midnight Crowing on Command



Young Midnight Little Rooster Crowing on Command


You can see more about him and the cute ducks we once had.  The boys were having so much fun with these animals. Chicken and DuckTalk


  I hope to find another one day but they are rare so that may be a hard thing to do.  

If you chicken keepers want a good breed and come across one by all means get one or more. 

Goodbye Midnight!


 


8 comments:

  1. I am so sorry you lost Midnight. He was a handsome rooster.

    ReplyDelete
  2. May I just say that I'm glad there are people in the world like you, who value every life -- even a lowly chicken's. With so much cruelty and inhumanity on the news, it's good to see such caring.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I hate to hear you lost your feathered friend. He was beautiful.
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  4. He is a beautiful bird! I am sorry you lost him. It is special when you find one that is so personable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you Kathy. I know we'll have others as you know yourself, these birds are all characters. He is missed for now though.

      Delete


HOUSE AND GARDENS