Poodle Roo Was A Lonely, Bullied Rooster -- Until He Found His Calling
"He knew what it was like to feel beat up and alone. But he didn't let that turn him bitter. He used it to make himself better."
Lisa Capretto— OWN
Warning: Video may be upsetting to some viewers.
When you work on a farm, you expect certain amount of routine and structure to shape your day, but for the workers at Apricot Lane Farms in California, organizing nightly search parties for an escape artist rooster was never quite part of the plan.
For some mysterious reason, a lone rooster named Poodle Roo fled his coop each evening, preferring to roost in the vast, open farm fields under a sheet of darkness rather than in the security of a warm coop. As farm owner John Chester points out, this was a problem.
Advertisement
"Roosters are meant to be the confident protectors of the flock, but no rooster is a match for what lurks at night," he says.
To keep Poodle Roo safe and, hopefully, more comfortable, Chester and his staff removed the rooster from the flock and allowed him to spend his nights alone in the farm's barn. Yet, they couldn't seem to shake a nagging question about this seemingly lonely creature.
"The real concern was, why had he not been returning to the safety of the coop?" Chester says. "So, after a few months, we decided to give life in the coop another try."
Advertisement
After a few months of the solo sleeping arrangement, Poodle Roo was carefully placed back with the flock one evening. "We return birds to coops at night, when the rest of the flock is roosting. This way, there's a better chance the other roosters will accept him," Chester explains.
It did not go well.
Poodle Roo was attacked by the flock in the middle of the night.
"The other roosters teamed up on him," Chester says. "He had lost way too much blood."
The staff was devastated; all they could do was focus on keeping Poodle Roo warm, hoping and praying that he wouldn't give up.
Then, a miracle: Poodle Roo rebounded.
"He healed remarkably fast," Chester says.
During Poodle Roo's recovery, the team also learned a critical piece of information that may have solved the mystery behind what happened that awful night in the coop and why the lonely rooster kept escaping all those nights prior.
Poodle Roo is partially blind and deaf.
"In the mind of this defenseless creature, sleeping alone in the pasture was the safer option," Chester says.
Advertisement
But Poodle Roo's life was about to change once more. The barn was also a place where other chickens would show up for brief illnesses or injuries.
"We started to notice that Poodle would remain by their side, every limping step," Chester says. "He would show them all the hot spots, like the hay barn to feed on the dropped seeds, or the compost trailer for food scraps."
Chickens weren't his only cause. Poodle Roo even befriended a lonely barn cat.
"He knew what it was like to feel beat up and alone," Chester says of the sweet rooster. "But he didn't let that turn him bitter. He used it to make himself better."
Through this, Poodle Roo found purpose -- and then, confidence.
"He went far beyond what one would expect from a partially blind and deaf little rooster," Chester says. "On Apricot Lane Farms, Poodle Roo has become the barn nurse."
Advertisement
The above video is a Super Soul Short produced by John Chester (Chester Films). "Super Soul Sunday" airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on OWN.
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.