Goodbye, handsome

Burgess Meredith as The Penguin - from Batman, 1966

It's difficult to understand the behavior and social nature of farm animals.  Last night I came home to find my hen Whitey very badly beaten up and covered in blood.  I took her in the house, cleaned her up and returned her to the coop.  The bully was Penguin.  Whitey has long been the alpha hen, best egg layer and all-around popular gal - she never harms the other hens, and they never harm her.  Which is probably why Penguin, as he is maturing and wanting to dominate the flock, wanted to take her out.  I called my chicken farmer friend Mark who advised me to quarantine Whitey until she heals, because Penguin would likely kill her and if he didn't, the other hens would.  So early this morning I did several things:  moved Whitey in to convalesce with Nurse Blackie and Nurse Bunny Lee, blocked off the door that leads into the rabbit area, captured Penguin and returned him from whence he came - down the road to Mark's chicken farm.  Mark told me he had an Amish customer who was looking for a rooster, so he will have a new home.  I loved Penguin, but can't have him killing my ladies.  Situations like these make me think deeply about the ethics of keeping domestic animals at all, it's un-naturalness, and how best to care for them and understand their ways.