Story Time at Mayapple Farm – The Rooster Who Collected the Ducks
Most people think chickens are simple farm animals.
Bug eaters.
Egg layers.
A little noisy sometimes.
But if you spend enough time watching them… you realize something else is happening.
There’s a whole society in the yard.
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Before Sonny arrived, the farm had a rooster named Tubbs.
Tubbs didn’t just manage the chickens.
He managed everyone.
Each evening the hens would head toward the coop as the sun started dropping behind the trees. Chickens know the routine. Night means safety.
But the ducks?
The ducks preferred the creek.
They would linger down there, splashing and talking loudly to each other like a group of friends who had no intention of leaving the party.
That’s when Tubbs would step in.
He would stand near the coop, stretch his neck tall, and let out a loud call across the pasture.
A few seconds later, a voice would shout back from the creek.
A very opinionated duck we call Loudmouth would squawk something that sounded very much like:
“Alright! Alright! We’re coming!”
And sure enough, a moment later the ducks would appear from the trees… waddling their way up from the creek.
Tubbs would meet them halfway and escort the entire parade back to the coop, guiding them safely past the farm dogs like a seasoned trail boss bringing cattle home at dusk.
The first time I saw it happen, I was honestly a little stunned.
Did he learn it from watching me?
Or did he simply notice that some of the flock—the fat wet ones—were still missing?
Either way, Tubbs had decided it was his job.
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Farms are like that.
If you slow down long enough to watch, you start seeing the personalities, the negotiations, and the quiet routines that happen every day between animals.
It isn’t just eggs and bug patrol.
It’s leadership.
It’s cooperation.
It’s a little bit of comedy too.
And every evening, just before sunset, it often ends with a small parade of ducks waddling home.
If you’re lucky enough to be sitting by the creek with a drink in your hand, you might get to see it.
Around here we call that little ritual:
Drink & Ducks at Mayapple Farm.
