Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Pokey Jr: Even Roosters Get Second Chances
    Pokey Jr: Even Roosters Get Second Chances
    Pokey Jr: Even Roosters Get Second Chances
    Ebook132 pages1 hour

    Pokey Jr: Even Roosters Get Second Chances

    By Brad Hauter

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    “Pokey Jr is a story about friendship and affection, growing up and growing older, power and purpose, loss and despair, failure and redemption and the impact of friendship… all told through the life of the handsome young rooster, Pokey Jr.

    Hatched on little farm in the midwest, we follow Pokey Jr’s youthful adventures as he learns how to “rooster”, eventually challenging for the right to lead the flock. Status and power are fleeting, however and in due time Pokey Jr is dethroned, and dejectedly moves himself to the back porch of the farm house.

    Here, rooster and farmer grow an unlikely friendship that includes tractor rides, trips into town for coffee and hanging out with the cat on warm summer evenings. But, even as Pokey Jr settled into his remarkable new life, the call to rejoin the flock echoes in his genes. It was time to return to roostering and once again challenge for the leadership role.

    This heartwarming story reminds us of the healing power of friendship and that second chances and a little perseverance can lead you to your life’s purpose.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBalboa Press
    Release dateSep 22, 2020
    ISBN9781982251772
    Pokey Jr: Even Roosters Get Second Chances
    Author

    Brad Hauter

    Brad Hauter is the host of the TV show Coop Dreams (coopdreams.tv) and best friends with his rooster, Pokey Jr.

    Related to Pokey Jr

    Related ebooks

    Entertainers and the Rich & Famous For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Bye Bye Baby…

      Jan 14, 2021

      Bye Bye Baby…
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Adventures of Nick & Ted

      Aug 2, 2022

      Last month I shared the wonderful experience of whelping our Percy and Dott’s litter of cocker pups. The past eight weeks have been both exhausting and exciting, and all the pups have now left to begin new lives with their new owners. To watch the pu

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Winning Letter

      Nov 17, 2023

      YOU know that feeling when you’re excited about something but a bit sad about it at the same time? It’s that feeling that gives you butterflies in your belly but also a bit of a squeeze in the chest. Bittersweet doesn’t quite describe it but I’m sure

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Once In A Lullaby

      Aug 2, 2020

      Once In A Lullaby
      13 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Letters

      Aug 2, 2024

      LOOKING out of my office window at the dreary, grey skies and relentless rain, I’m more than ready for the arrival of warmer, sunnier days. The persistent gloom and chill here in Cape Town doesn’t exactly spark joy in me and I’m sick of all the layer

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Dog Book Guy

      Oct 25, 2019

      The Dog Book Guy
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Master of None: Or, How We Learned the Dogs Are Secretly in Charge

      Nov 20, 2017

      I’M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU, BUT EVEN AFTER A DIZZYING FEW weeks of national news, I’m still obsessed with Lulu, the would-be CIA explosive-sniffing dog who broke the Internet in October when the agency kicked her out. In its solemn statement, the CIA exp

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Pleased To Meet You

      Jul 22, 2020

      Pleased To Meet You
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      My Funny, Angry Dad

      Mar 19, 2022

      My Funny, Angry Dad
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Winning Letter

      Mar 31, 2023

      ONE of my lecturers told us we shouldn’t rely on hope to get us through difficult times because it creates a false sense of security. I got it but I just can’t accept the idea that life without hope is better. So many stories in this edition show why

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Counting Sheep

      May 14, 2021

      Counting Sheep
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Meet Julie.

      Jun 2, 2022

      Meet Julie.
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Adventures of Nick & Ted

      Jul 5, 2022

      Adventures of Nick & Ted
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Can You Keep A Secret?

      Dec 1, 2022

      Can You Keep A Secret?
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      What Is a Dog?

      Mar 5, 2018

      What Is a Dog?
      16 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Kid’s First Deer

      May 1, 2019

      A Kid’s First Deer
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      How A Puppy Saved My Grieving Family

      Apr 16, 2021

      How A Puppy Saved My Grieving Family
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Robyn Malcolm unfiltered

      Dec 7, 2024

      Robyn Malcolm unfiltered
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Letters

      Nov 15, 2024

      WE FOUND out a few months ago that Prince William was bringing his Earthshot Prize to South Africa and we immediately set about making plans to cover the occasion. The royal family, as anyone who has ever read a copy of YOU knows, is a big deal for u

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Dog Days

      Jan 23, 2022

      Dog Days
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Cool Dads: Tough Times Edition

      Jul 3, 2022

      Cool Dads: Tough Times Edition
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Welcome!

      Sep 1, 2021

      Welcome!
      1 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Character Building

      Jul 5, 2022

      Character Building
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      World’s Best Gym Buddy!

      Oct 3, 2024

      World’s Best Gym Buddy!
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Winning Letter

      Feb 23, 2024

      EACH week our team comes together to discuss and plan the magazine – from choosing which stories will go into the issue to sourcing images for each page and seeing everything through to the layout process. And week after week, story after story, the

      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Pokey Jr

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Pokey Jr - Brad Hauter

      Copyright © 2020 Brad Hauter.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

      any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

      recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

      without the written permission of the author except in the case

      of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Balboa Press

      A Division of Hay House

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.balboapress.com

      844-682-1282

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

      links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

      may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

      of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

      and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe

      the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional,

      or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly

      or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information

      of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and

      spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in

      this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author

      and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

      models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

      ISBN: 978-1-9822-5179-6 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-9822-5178-9 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-9822-5177-2 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2020913730

      Balboa Press rev. date:   09/21/2020

      Dedication

      T his book is dedicated to Pokey… She is Pokey Jr’s mom and the matriarch of our chicken yard. Without her ‘unique’ genetics, we wouldn’t have ever met a rooster like Pokey Jr.

      Contents

      Dedication

      Foreword

      Preface

      Acknowledgment

      Introduction

      Prologue

      The Hatch

      The Teens

      JR Rooster Police

      New World Order

      New Sheriff in Town

      Patch

      Change Ain’t Easy

      The Newer Sheriff in Town

      Flying Solo

      Something’s Brewing

      The Importance of Roostering

      Hello Chicks

      Growing Up

      Next Step’s a Good Step

      Summer to Winter

      Moving to the Big City

      The Night After the Night Before

      Back on the Back Porch

      Epilogue

      Afterword

      About the Author

      Foreword

      M y family has been lucky enough to know Brad and the Hauter family for the last eleven years. First, as our son’s collegiate soccer coach, then as a friend and finally as a business colleague.

      He’s a family guy – through and through.

      He thinks deeply and cares greatly about causes and topics that engage him – the environment, human motivation and meaning, helping others achieve their dreams. Don’t let his easy laughter and quick wit fool you, there’s a lot going on behind that smile.

      But it’s not just talk and reflection, he also puts action, energy and time into issues and projects that he cares about. (For goodness sakes, he drove a riding lawn mower across the country not once, but twice, setting a Guinness World Record and raising money and awareness for Keep America Beautiful.)

      Of course, there are other things Brad loves, too. Like animals, for instance. All animals. But, especially chickens. Brad dreamed of being a chicken keeper for years. When he and his family eventually moved to a small farm in Illinois, that dream came true.

      Instantly, he became interested in their social structure, their language and their fascinating behaviors. Like many chicken keepers, his flock quickly grew. And before there was time to say chicken math, he was incubating his first batch of eggs – including an egg from his favorite hen, Pokey. Out of that egg emerged a rooster named Pokey Jr. and a lifetime bond between the two.

      This is Pokey Jr’s story as observed by his buddy, Brad. Like any life story, it is filled with achievements and setbacks, relationship highs and lows and the struggle for purpose. And through it all, lies a friendship for the ages.

      If you love animals, if you appreciate the search for meaning or enjoy a good friendship story… this book’s for you!

      —Davi Reynolds

      Preface

      T his story kind of wrote itself as it played out in front of us moment by moment. From the start it was clear mom was different from the rest of the flock but it took longer to learn the quirkiness of Pokey Jr. Initially he started out very ‘rooster like’ as he took over, ran the chicken yard and attacked anyone who he thought was a threat to the flock.

      Our bond began to grow when he was in trouble and I think choking on something. We found him semi-unresponsive, gasping for air and with his comb purple instead of it’s normal bright red. Seeing it, we did what we had done, right or wrong, to our kids when they were choking… Turned them upside down and whacked them on their back. While we didn’t see anything pop out he did take a big breath and his comb returned to red pretty quickly.

      While he still ran up and was aggressive when I was in the chicken yard his ‘attacks’ were more like taps. I’m not saying he felt a connection to me since that moment but… it’s possible. This may have set the table of trust for him to seek me out on other rooster ‘issues’ and may have been the spark that led to this book.

      Acknowledgment

      M y friend Mary Novak who lent her talents in review and editing.

      The most awesome members of the Coop Dreams Team, Davi Reynolds and Reid Sprenkel, for living the Pokey Jr adventures with me, for the review and pictures.

      Introduction

      T rust me when I say that ‘I know’ it sounds crazy that I am best friends with a rooster and it certainly never started out as the end goal for either one of us but that’s what happened. And like most friendships, it didn’t happen overnight because actual true friendship requires a great deal of trust and that takes time to earn. So while we always, I assume, liked each other – he had to trust that I would not hurt any in his flock (a rooster’s main priority) and I had to trust that he wasn’t going to shred me with his spurs.

      But gradually I began to see signs that I had earned his trust… He would stand in the rain at the front door and stare at it until I came out to pick him up or give him treats. He would run up to me when I got in the car, or on the tractor, mower or utility vehicle because he enjoyed going for rides. He would come and sit with me in the front yard and just watch the world go by. Of course, when all of that happened and I didn’t get attacked my trust grew

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1