R.I.P. Gaucho the Magnificent Chicken

The bold little bantam chicken passed just after his 15th birthday

Gaucho the Rooster has passed at age 15

It is with greatest sadness that I announce that Gaucho the Magnificent has died at the age of 15 years and two weeks.

Gaucho hatched here in March of 2008, one of five of Cake the Hen’s chicks. Although he was small, his personality and ability to crow were large.

His fancy feathered feet and signature dance, a complex combination of wing flaps and rapid, prancing leg movements made the hens swoon. His beautiful rust coloring and large tail plumage made even the peacocks jealous.

Never afraid to join the humans in their adventures around the Acre, Gaucho was often found atop the fence in the oak valley near the tire swing where he could observe the kids at play. He also frequently rode along in the wheelbarrow like a tiny feather Caesar as it moved dirt and compost around the gardens.

Gaucho was often wheeled around the yard like a tiny, feathered Caesar

He was also always the first chicken on the scene when the feed shed door opened in the morning, and had the amazing ability to appear out of thin air when called by the sound of chicken scratch, leftover vegetables, or old bread hitting the ground near his favorite sunning spot.

Gaucho was always first to the feed shed door in the morning

Although he was more than a decade older than most of the other poultry in the flock, he remained spry and alert until the very last. He passed quietly in his sleep surrounded by his three favorite hens, Buffy, Bad Buff, and Wynona.

The Acre isn’t the same since his signature crow went silent. He will be missed for many years to come.

Goodbye Gaucho. May you find peace in the great chicken coop in the sky.