the Witchen Kitchen Beginner Herbal

tammy October 1st, 2008

For the “harvest” blog party, being hosted by Darcey at Gaia’s Gifts…

My poke bush (Phytolacca americana) is heavy with ripe fruit, so I’ve been gathering my winter supply. These pink-black berries are great for addressing body aches and rheumatism, stimulating a slugglish thyroid, stimulating the immune system, fighting off the flu, clearing swollen glands in the neck and chest area, helping with weight loss, and probably a ton of other things that I haven’t learned of yet!  The berries have similar properties as the poke root, but I think their medicine is gentler.

Poke berries are one of the best remedies I have ever used for that achy-all-over thing I get sometimes.  As I head into my mid-life metamorphisis, as Susun Weed calls it, with all its fluctuating hormones and inner transformations, my body adjusting to a new way of being, finding its equlibrium, these achy days come and go.  Muscles aches for no apparent reason, an achy joint here and there…  It is worse around the time of menses.

When I get in this state, I will sometimes swallow about three whole, dried, poke berries twice a day for a few days.  From the first day it’s bye-bye aches and pains!  Some may need less or more to get this effect. I started with just one berry a day, and worked up to three, which was a good dose for me.  They can be taken fresh or dried, but personally, I think the dried berries are more effective.

I also use poke berries for tonsilitis and flu and other upper respiratory ailments.  Again, it is one of the most effective herbal remedies I’ve ever used for these conditions, especially when they’ve gotten to a point where things are stuck and you feel like you’ll never be well again.  It gets things moving… fast!  With infections like these, I will usually work up to a bit of a bigger dose (up to 9 berries works for me) and then taper off as I start getting well.

In general, Poke is strong medicine. This is one herbal remedy I save for when things are stuck and going nowhere with some of the more gentle and nourishing approaches.  For my aches and pains most of the time, I will likely use hot Yarrow or Sage tea, or chew on some Angelica root, nice warming, aromatic, and somewhat bitter herbs, all of which can be a great comfort and make me feel brand new.  For colds and flu and sore throats, I prefer hot soups and nourishing herbs and plenty of rest.  But sometimes things get stuck and gentle approaches aren’t helping all that much.  That’s when you may just need a Poke to initiate some movement!!

To dry the berries, just pick a bunch and leave them out somewhere dry and airy in your house until they turn into these cute little scalloped and hardened discs. Then store in a glass jar.

The fresh berries can also be juiced and made into wine or jelly, and the whole berries can be tinctured.  I’ll be trying some of these this year for the first time.

Rebecca Hartman has a wonderful write-up on poke.  She classifies it as one of the alteratives, and mentions it as a traditional Appalachian herbal remedy, also used by Tommie Bass. I am anxious to get myself a copy of Mountain Medicine: The Herbal Remedies of Tommie Bass.  It’s next on my list of herbals to buy!

And here is an article on Poke from Susun Weed

Even if you don’t want to make medicine with them, I encourage you to go take a closer look at your poke berries if you have any.  They really are gorgeous.  The most vibrant shade of magenta stems and a lovely firm and scalloped base on which the plump berries rest.  Each berry has primal white markings all around its center naval, alluding to the ancient wisdom it carries in its belly.

They also make a really beautiful ink.  Many a child, myself included, has used them for body art.  And when I homeschooled my children many years ago we used them extensively in our natural art creations. What fun!

Caution: As I mentioned before in another post, the seeds of poke berry are toxic, but only if they are broken open.  The seeds are very hard, and if swallowed whole, they pass through the system intact and harmless.  Never chew poke berries!   Also, it is important when working with poke to start with very small doses and work up slowly.  Poke is strong medicine and it doesn’t take much.  I have not pushed it this far myself, but I have read that too much can cause nausea and vomitting, and way too much can cause you to feel “spacy”, a narcotic effect, and way, way too much could interfere with vital processes, and even cause death.  Poke should also not be used internally for extended periods of time, according to Susun Weed, because its alkaloids can build up in the kidneys. So be cautious and conservative and do your research if you choose to work with this plant medicinally!

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tammy September 23rd, 2008

This exquisite flower was my gift from Mother on the fall equinox.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  Its flowers have the most divine scent, not quite like anything I’ve experienced before.

I was walking and enjoying a beautiful equinox day outside when I unexpectedly spotted her.  She called me down to sit a while and visit.  Literally.  I felt compelled to sink down and sit, as naturally as if I had gone to that spot for no other purpose than that.

I have no idea its name yet, but I know it is going to be an important plant for me. These photos aren’t the best for plant ID, but if you know what this is, please let me know!  I only saw the one.  I hope there are more.

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tammy September 22nd, 2008

There is a huge Poke (Phytolacca americana) bush in our field that I have honored all summer and allowed to grow as big as it wants to be.  I’ve been focusing on this plant this year, learning all I can about it.

From my vantage point, it has a tough, stoic, decidedly male, personality, sort of dark and a little dangerous, infinitely mysterious and intriguing.  It also has many medicinal gifts stored in its starchy roots, vibrant leaves, and bright berry juice.  It vibrates life energy. It has more than enough to share and generously gives to those in need of its help.  Every part of it smells earthy, ancient and wise.  Its strength is sure.  Its root is solid and hefty and firmly embedded.  It branches are flexible and bendable but very difficult to break.  It has a touch femininity in its sweet white flowers and delicately scalloped pink base from which the berries emerge, but even these are manly in their firmness. It is a plant friend that you can go to for quick, effective help with serious problems.  But be careful. It’s power is dangerous when not respected.

I’ve used poke medicinally in a lot of different circumstances by now, and I’ve never failed to be amazed at how quickly and effectively it works.  This plant gets things done!  I’ll be writing a series of articles over the next month or two on the different ways I have used Poke.

I want to start by telling you all about my poke leaf salve.

Poke is very effective for relieving the itching and inflammation of psoriasis.  Before I knew to use Poke for psoriasis last winter, I made a salve for this condition from burdock root, comfrey leaf, red clover blossoms, and calendula.  It worked well to sooth the psoriasis, but I thought the effect wasn’t very much different from daily moisturizing. A few months after making it, I learned of Poke’s use for psoriasis, so, I reheated the salve and added a few droppers-ful of poke root tincture, as that was the only form of Poke I had in the  house at the time.

The new salve that resulted was just brimming with magic!  Wonderfully soothing, and with a little extra something that gets right to the psoriasis and promotes a deep healing.  The Poke eliminates the inflammation and itching and thins the thick skin plaque, and the other ingredients do their wonderful work to eliminate the flakes, heal the tissues, and promote soft new baby skin to grow. Poke has an effect on inflamed skin that is very similar to that of a cortisone cream.

Can Poke help to really heal a patch of psoriasis, and not just eliminate symptoms?  Maybe so…  I am very bad at being consistent about using my wonderful salve, so I haven’t really given it a good chance yet.  I tend to only apply it for a few days at a time when I have a flare-up that makes my psoriasis feel itchy and aggravating.  The salve will calm it down after the first day of using it, and after a couple more days, it will *almost* completely heal so it looks like I don’t even have psoriasis at all.  But then, since it is not bothering me, I’ll start forgetting to use the salve.  I won’t remember again until the next flare-up, and then I’ll start the whole routine all over again.  I think if I could just discipline myself to keep using it for a while longer, this one patch on my knee that I’ve had since my early twenties would be history.

My magical winter creation is nearly gone now, so I’m making a new batch right now using the leaf.  I’ve been researching a bit over at Henriettes Herbal, and the leaf salve is reported by at least one of the 19th century herbalists to be excellent for these types of skin conditions.  I hope it will be just as potent as the root tincture was!  Lard is recommended as a menstrum, but I have not been able to find any good quality lard or other animal fat I can render around here, so I’ll be using extra virgin olive oil.  (If you think lard is gross to use for a salve base, read this and this.  As soon as I can find some, I’m going to try it!)

I’m using all the same herbs again for this batch since they worked so well together before, and the same ratios — about 1 handful of each dry herb, give or take a little, and about 1/3 to 1/2 that amount of the Poke. (The Poke is fresh, so it looks like  lot, but if it were dried, it would be a lot less than a handful here).

Yesterday, I harvested the tender young leaves from branches that had berries just beginning to ripen.  (I also harvested a bunch of ripe berries — more on those soon). I let the leaves wilt over night, and just started my oil infusing this morning.  I poured olive oil over all the herbs, and stirred and poked to get out air, then covered with a little more oil.  I’m using a hot infusion method, letting them steep in the crock pot on low heat for a day or two. After I strain it, I’ll add some beeswax and turn it into salve.

As soon as I’ve had a chance to use it, I’ll post an update here.  More soon!

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tammy September 16th, 2008

I’ve been working with Dandelion Oil since this past Spring. As I get to know it better, I’m starting to get a better sense of how it works, both emotionally and physically.

On an emotional level, it is sunny and happy and laid back, relaxed and stress free.  I always feel more joy after working with this oil.  After many uses and careful observation, now I’m finding that its physical effect on the body may work along a similar vibration.

From the very first times I used my Dandy oil, I noticed that the amazing muscle pain relieving properties worked best when the oil was lightly massaged into the affected area. If massaged in deeply, it didn’t do much at all for me, and sometimes my muscles even felt more achy after a good rub (though I always felt more relaxed overall, especially emotionally). I’ve concluded that dandelion flower oil seems to work its best magic through a light, relaxed touch.

As I’ve been studying the art of massage therapy and learning more about anatomy, I’m starting to believe that the oil primarily works to relax the fascia that surrounds the muscles as well as other connective tissue like tendons, but it does not work on the muscle tissue itself.

So far, it has worked best for me to relieve muscle pain when lightly rubbed into areas rich in connective tissue and muscle attachments, such as the hip bone and down the outside of the leg, or in the lower back around the spine and sacrum.  It’s also nice in the neck and shoulder area when applied lightly, but a few times I’ve rub it in too deeply and aggravated the tension.  Again, a light touch works best.

I haven’t yet been able to find any other herbalists who have similar observations about this oil, but I would love to hear other opinions and experiences along these lines.

I’ll continue to experiment also with my massage clients, as they are willing.  My mother is getting a massage this weekend and has given me full permission to use her as a guinea pig!  Thanks Mom!

The post on Poke medicine is coming soon.  I didn’t get to work with it this past weekend.  Instead we went to the apple orchard. I’ve been peeling and slicing apples for days now!  More about Poke next post…

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tammy September 12th, 2008

When you could have this little homemade beauty? This was my first batch of homemade yogurt and it turned out really well, I’m happy to report.  And so did the cream cheese I made from it!

To make your own homemade yogurt, you will need 1/4 C starter yogurt for every quart of milk.  Buy a cup of good quality plain yogurt with live cultures from the store to use for this purpose.  The milk can be any kind as long as it is not ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized milk has damaged proteins that will not work well to make yogurt.  Get organic if you can; raw is even better.

Heat your milk to 185 degrees, let it cool to 110 degrees, stir in the starter yogurt, and then keep it warm, between 90 and 110 degrees, until it has transformed into yogurt, usually about 12 hours later.

Most homemade yogurt instructions tell you that you need to have a thermometer so you can keep the yogurt at the proper temperatures. But hey, I’m a wise woman!  I don’t use fancy thermometers either!

When initially heating the milk to the requisite 185 degrees, I just use my senses to tell me when it is the right temperature.  185 is steamy, but not boiling.  This step is for the purpose of killing any bad bacteria, which I’m guessing is not a big problem if you are using pasteurized milk anyway, but I still do it.

When the milk is slightly warm or even a little cool, it is probably within the 90-110 range.  Just gauge it based on your own body temp as a starting point.  Your body temp is around 98.6, so if it is exactly the same you won’t feel either cool or warm when you stick your finger in, if it is a few degrees warmer, it will feel slightly warm, a few degrees cooler, it will feel slightly cool.  You get the idea.

To keep mine between 90-110 degrees while it was setting up, I wrapped a heating pad set on low around the jars and put a towel around the whole bundle.  My home is air-conditioned, so it was important to have heat source, but if you are in a warm climate and don’t have air-conditioning, you may not need this. My heating pad automatically turns itself off after a certain number of minutes, and every hour or so, I would turn it back on.  There are many other ways to keep the culturing yogurt warm — set in warm water in a cooler, set in an oven set on 100 or so, etc.

I kept half the yogurt to eat with fruit and in smoothies, and the other half I turned into cream cheese.  To make cream cheese, line a strainer with a clean cloth and set over a bowl, pour in the yogurt and let the whey drip out and into the bowl.  It takes a long while for all the whey to drip out, and toward the end you’ll probably need to take the yogurt filled cloth out of the strainer and tie it to a large wooden spoon or other such device and hang it over a taller pitcher to finish dripping.

When the cream cheese is firm, store it in an air tight container in the fridge.  You can eat it plain or stir in some flavors as you like.  You know that shelf in the grocery store with all the flavors of cream cheese?  Use that for ideas, or make up your own combos.  My favorite so far is dried apricots and ginger. Yum!  Next, I want to try some savory herbs.

Keep the whey also.  This can be used to soak beans and grains before cooking (to increase their nutritional value) and as a starter for fermented (pickled) vegetables.  For more information about using whey in food prep, see Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.

Whey is also very medicinal as a topical on itchy rashes, as is the full fat yogurt.  This helped clear up a severe, long-lasting, angry, red and itchy rash on my arm last summer when nothing else helped.

Now that the weather is a little cooler, I feel like I’m finally emerging from the August fog that washes over me every summer.  It’s time to start thinking about Fall medicine making.  This weekend I’ll be working with the poke plant… the berries are almost ripe for drying and juicing, and I want to try making a psoriasis salve from its leaves.  More on all that next post…

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tammy August 31st, 2008

I’ve been sick for the past three weeks.  A cold that passed quickly down into my throat, giving me a croupy laryngitis, and then finally settled in my chest… to stay, it seemed.  It hung on and on and on.  The incessant, mostly dry coughing, the headaches and muscle strains from coughing, the tight, painful chest, the hoarse voice.  I was beginning to despair I’d never be well again.

I’d been pushing the fluids and mucilaginous infusions, eating homemade chicken soup, and also using ripe Poke berries* (Phytolacca americana) to stimulate my immune system and Chickweed (Stellaria media) tincture to thin the mucous.  I swallowed a few whole Poke berries each day and took a couple doses of the Chickweed (a dropperful each time).

These would always start to move things along soon after taking, but never really pushed me past that threshold where my body could take over and really heal.  Immediately after a dose of medicine, or a bowl of chicken soup, or a cup or two of infusion, I would get some expectoration and more productive coughing, and the Poke really did wonders for my chronic body aches and pains, but then my chest would just tighten back up again.  The nights and mornings were the worst.  What I was doing obviously wasn’t exactly doing the trick.

I was settled that if it didn’t clear up this weekend I would go and get some Mucinex.  But turns out I didn’t have to do that.  I saw some Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), otherwise known as pleurisy root, growing nearby yesterday, so off I went to dig some.

Two cups of root tea last evening, one after dinner and one before bed, seems to have cleared this thing right up!  After drinking a cup, I coughed up some nasty stuff!  And then my chest felt so open and relaxed and I slept so well last night.   I’m almost completely well this morning, with just the tiniest hint of a cough every now and then and almost no chest congestion at all.  I feel a thousand times better than I did yesterday.  I think I’ll drink another cup or two today to finish kicking this thing to the curb!

In researching the Butterfly Weed before I used it, I was interested to learn that in addition to its famed reputation for clearing and dispersing stuck fluids in the chest that it also works to move fluids in the joints and bursa.  This was interesting to me because I’ve also had some tennis elbow and a painful shoulder for the last few months, as well as some pain in the carpals of my right wrist (overuse from mouse clicking all day at my day job!!).  I’d been using Solomon’s Seal and getting some relief, but not really healing.

I’m thinking that maybe the reason I had such trouble getting rid of this chest cold was due to a constitutional problem with dryness as evidenced by the joint problems, among other symptoms.   So, I may continue to work with the Butterfly Weed for a while longer yet to help address the body-wide symptoms of this underlying imbalance of dryness.

Matthew Wood (The Book of Herbal Wisdom) mentions that the flowers of this plant illustrate the way its medicine opens up and disperses fluids in the lungs.  I also noticed that the plant itself is overall very dry.  You can crush its leaves, break open its stem, cut up its roots, and get almost no moisture from them.  The flowers are have the most moisture of the entire plant. To me this is an illustration of its ability to work from an overall dry condition to produce its beautiful orange star burst of dispersed fluids.

This whole experience has really taught me a lot about how to use herbs to treat problems from a constitutional perspective.  Looking at all the seemingly unrelated symptoms as an overall pattern, the dots really begin to connect.  I’ve read and read about how other herbalists do this, but getting this direct body experience is priceless in my learning process.

*The seeds of Poke berries are toxic, but only if they are broken open.  If you swallow the berries whole, the seeds will pass through your body intact and harmless.  They are very hard and it is unlikely you would be able to break them open anyway, but just in case, never chew Poke berries!  The entire Poke plant has a lot of wonderful uses, but it is a very powerful plant overall and can be toxic if not used properly.  It is always taken in very small doses. Be sure to do your research and consult experienced herbalists if you choose to work with this plant.

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tammy August 28th, 2008

If you have chickens and they get locked out of the coop before bedtime, and you want to go looking for them to get them inside so the fox doesn’t come and eat them up before morning, and it’s dark and you can’t really see…. well, you should definitely check the trees near the coop first.

Our chickens now roam freely all afternoon and they reliably bring themselves back into the coop when the sun sets. All we usually have to do is go down and shut the door. Well, a few days ago the grandsons were outside playing with the chickens and decided to shut the coop door well before dark, so when the chickens came waddling back, none of them could get inside.

At dusk we finally realized what the kids had done and quickly went to open the door. Most of the chickens then came on inside and got themselves settled for the night, but six were still missing, and it was dark already. Hubby pulled the truck around and aimed the headlights into the woods behind the coop.

Then he started walking through the trees, calling, “Here chick, chick, chick… here chick, chick, chick…” in his cute falsetto. I was helping him, saying, “Bok-bok-bok,” using my best chicken voice. Neither of us were getting a response.

Turns out the whole time we had our eyes looking down we should have been looking up! After about five minutes, my daughter spotted a group of three birdies lined up close together on a tree branch right next to the coop. In the darkness, they looked like three crows, hanging out and sticking close together.

They must have been nearly asleep already, because they didn’t even try to get away and seemed really startled when hubby picked them up to take them to the coop. A couple of trees over, there were the other three on a higher branch. We did not clip their wings, so our chickens can fly, ya know. We had to get something to stand on to reach, but they were also easily caught and carried to safety. Whew! Crisis over.

So yeah, check the trees first if you’re ever missing some chickens at night!

BTW, since they’ve been free wheelin’ the older laying hens have been giving us the most delectable orange-yolked eggs. They had been yellow and looking like grocery store eggs before we started letting them free roam. These orange eggs are waaaaay better.

And on another note, I don’t know how I’m going to find any dandelion roots this fall.  I’m not sure I’ll get any chickweed either after the weather turns cool again.  These chickens have wiped the yard clean of both these greens! 

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tammy August 21st, 2008

Here is a very common shrub that I see everywhere around here where I live. It has captured my attention and intrigue, but I cannot seem find out what it is. I thought I would put it out here to see if any of you readers know what it is.

The leaves have a very pleasant balsam fragrance when crushed. It smells a lot like the Sweetgum tree to me. I didn’t dare taste it, because I don’t know the potential toxicity.

Right now it has berries. A few weeks ago these berries were white flowers.

It has purple speckles on the stems… these markings make me feel extra careful about its potential toxicity. Poison hemlock has purple spots, and even though this shrub has a much different structure from the hemlock, I wonder if the speckles are a plant signature warning of poison. That may not be the case, but I do want to look into it further.

The berries are flattened spheres, not fully round. They are turning a reddish purple. The ones in the photo are still mostly green, though.

The leaves have an unusual structure that I haven’t really seen before. In between the large leaflets, there is a smaller leaf growing along the stem.

Any ideas out there for what this plant could be? Leave a comment if you have any suggestions!

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tammy August 18th, 2008

When hubby asked me to go to the store and get him some Immodium, I started wracking my brain for a suitable herbal alternative. He was feeling pretty bad and needed quick relief, so whatever I came up with needed to be effective. I remembered that blackberry is a specific for this condition so off I went to pick some bright green, prickly leaves from the numerous bushes we have on our property.

I’ve read that all parts of the blackberry plant are good for intestinal troubles, but this was the first time I ever attempted to use it. My understanding is that the berries and/or their juice are best for constipation because of the fiber and moistening properties, while the leaf and root are best for diarrhea, due in large part to their astringency, with the root being the strongest in this regard. All parts of this plant have an affinity for the digestive tract and are especially healing to its tissues.

I’m noticing more and more that I am selecting medicinal herbs based on a combination of my reading of other herbalists along side a growing awareness of the plant’s particular personalities and a deeper intuitive understanding of their energetic properties as related to what’s going on in the body.

Here is what I was thinking as I prepared this medicine. When diarrhea occurs, the tissues are leaky and may be inflamed and irritated. Astringent herbs like blackberry tighten up the tissues. A rose family plant, blackberry is also cooling to inflamed tissues. I’m sure there are many other nutrients and active components working in synergy to produce its healing effect, but just this simple energetic framework was enough to help me be able to use it more confidently and intentionally.

If I had had blackberry root, I would have used that, since I wanted a strong, fast acting remedy. But no time to dig! Instead, I boiled the leaves I had gathered into a strong decoction. I took a sip myself and confirmed that it was indeed very astringent. I could feel the tissues in my mouth tighten and become drier on contact. There was no bitterness or sweetness, just a mild, green, astringent taste.

I felt hubby needed some mucilage to help heal the mucous lining of his stripped gut, so I threw in some dried linden leaf and flower (very mucilaginous and healing to the gut). I also added some dried yarrow to help deal with any creepy crawly bacteria that may be causing trouble, and to help clear some of the heat I saw flushing his face and neck (yarrow is great for addressing bacterial infections and fevers and for purifying the blood). I poured the boiling decoction over the linden and yarrow and let it steep for a few minutes before adding some honey. The yarrow added a bit of bitterness to the brew, also good for the gut.

“Here, drink this,” I said to hubby. ” I don’t care if you don’t like it. Just drink it. It is medicine.”

He did… and no more diarrhea since! Plus, I saved a trip to the store and the cost of Immodium, which would have just paralyzed his poor intestines and done nothing to heal them. I’ve been watching carefully to see if he needed a repeat dose, but so far, all is well. He feels great, no more heat in the face, and no more stomach cramping or diarrhea. Yay!

I’m picking more leaf to dry for winter use. I suspect the leaf tea may also be a good remedy for nausea and vomitting. This fall, when the energy of the plant has gone underground, I will dig a root and make some tincture. I believe the tincture will be even stronger and fast acting, and a little will go a long way.

Everybody needs a good diarrhea remedy in the cupboard. So far, I’m convinced this one can’t be beat.

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tammy August 10th, 2008

We always wanted free range chickens, so yesterday, we took a big gulp and opened the door of the chicken pen so our new flock could roam a bit, standing close by in case they decided to take off to parts unknown. 

This made them so very happy.  Their excited energy was obvious as they immediately started foraging through the wooded area near their pen, finding big fat worms, juicy bugs of all sorts, and delectable greens everywhere.  Chicken heaven. 

To my horror, one even got hold of a baby black snake, about the size of a worm.  Chills up and down my spine!

They stayed close to the pen, never really roaming more than 10 yards away.  Their water was still in the cage, so occasionally they popped in for drink.

Mid afternoon, it was apparently nap time for the youngsters, as most of them headed into the cage to rest for a while.  Then after about an hour they headed back out. 

Chickens will eat just about anything, we’ve discovered.  We usually bring them lots of table scraps, and they especially like fresh dandelion greens.  Today when we brought their evening feed, they weren’t all that hungry after their day of foraging, but most came into the cage to peck half-heartedly at the cracked corn we put down. 

We’ve seen a fox out at night a few times in the past few weeks, so we wanted to make sure they were all inside the coop before dark.  Even though we thought they would probably all come in to the roost on their own as the daylight faded, we didn’t entirely trust them to do it, and we didn’t want to be tromping through the woods in the dark, so we started rounding them all up then.  Another hilarious chicken run, but we finally got them all inside. 

The young chickens won’t be laying eggs probably until next spring, so we added a couple of full grown Rhode Island Red laying hens to our flock a couple weeks ago.  They each give us one smooth brown egg every day.  They are more like pets, coming up to us to socialize and letting us hold them and rub their heads.  They also help keep the younguns in line, who always scatter when we approach and can get into quite a bit of mischief with each other.

We’ve identified at least three roosters so far.  They’ve started squaring off in very comical displays of bravado.  They have a lot of heart, but absolutely no clue of how to rule the roost yet. 

One of the roosters is particularly mean.  He likes to pull out the tail feathers of some of the others and eat them (the feathers).  We may be eating HIM come fall!

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