R.I.P. Benedict the Jerk

R.I.P. Benedict the Jerk

The image above this post is from a video I took after one of the times Benedict attacked me. I threw a metal cup at him to make him run away. 

If you’ve been following News From the Office, you know that our rooster, Benedict the Jerk, has attacked me several times. We were going to wait to send him across the rainbow bridge until our new rooster got a bit bigger. But, we couldn’t wait any longer.

Benedict has:

  • Puffed himself up, and raced at me several times
  • Flown at my face with his spurs pointed at my eyes
  • Jumped on my back
  • Bit my butt!
  • Never mounted any of our hens (he is a mature rooster)
  • Has been attacking our hens in the morning. One of them is missing almost all the feathers on her head.

I was at the sports medicine place last week, and now have a boot on my foot. I hurt it when Benedict was charging me, and I had to kick him into the air twice. I have to go back next month and, if the gentle treatments don’t work, I might need more serious work done. I can’t imagine how much those medical bills are going to cost.

While we are animal lovers, the rooster and hens are livestock. We don’t get attached.

We could not, in good conscience, give him away to someone else. He is dangerous. We would not sell him because many people online offer to buy or “adopt” roosters (and unwanted hens), and then sell them to Chinese restaurants. We knew that humanely taking care of the problem here was the only option.

This morning, Brian did the unfortunate deed. Now, I don’t have to be afraid each time I walk outside, and we don’t have to worry about him attacking our grandchildren.

Benedict is in the freezer now, and we’re going to have burgers, dogs, and BBQ chicken (I mean rooster) on the 4th of July. We have several guests coming for the event! Max is going to set off fireworks again this year. We’re hoping he has better aim than he did last year, when showers of sparks were pouring onto the deck, where all the visitors were sitting. 😉

RELATED



HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?

Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.

ASK ANGELA!



Read More News From The Home Office

Summer 2026 24 Hour Short Story Contest


4 Responses to "R.I.P. Benedict the Jerk"

  1. Philip Fletcher  June 27, 2026 at 7:08 am

    Benedict might have the last laugh by being ‘a tough old bird’ to chew and swallow. Does any one remember ‘FOGHORN LEGHORN’? A great old Loony Tunes cartoon character, available to watch for free on YouTube.

    Reply
  2. Gail  June 26, 2026 at 4:30 pm

    I hear roosters have tough meat. That’s why they’re usually braised for a long time. Coq au Vin, anyone? 🙂

    Reply
  3. Antaeus  June 26, 2026 at 9:01 am

    I know the death of any animal isn’t something to take lightly. But after following your ongoing “Benedict adventures,” your title “R.I.P. Benedict the Jerk” had me laughing so hard my cat thought something was wrong.
    Katie was asleep in her usual chair and bolted onto my desk the moment I started laughing. She meowed and rubbed her face against mine like she was trying to comfort me, which only made me laugh harder.
    You made the right call. Hopefully Benedict’s replacement will be a little less “stabby.”
    Thank you for giving me a good laugh today. I needed it.

    Reply
    • By Angela Hoy - Publisher of WritersWeekly.com  June 26, 2026 at 12:05 pm

      Your kitty sounds a LOT more friendly than Benedict was! 😉

      Angela

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.