Movements

The Accident Chicks have been shifted to their half-way house outside. Kim’s Hen House. Actually we could call it Kim’s Half-way Hen House. Which is a pleasing alliteration and you know how I like those.  It was just getting Too cramped in their inside box. The time had come.

The little urban hen house has two levels. If I pull the trap door up between the levels making a floor for the upstairs, then cover it in old hay, the chickens have a warm and quite cosy  apartment. They were  hanging out in the nesting boxes yesterday which was fine – it is draft free and warm in there (I have been looking at quail – Christine is hatching some – did you know they start to LAY at 7 weeks old?)  But I am adding turkeys this year and that is quite enough.  But I LOVE quail eggs and you can’t buy them out here. Can you feel my inner struggle? Anyway back to the Accident Chicks.

I transfer chicks in a tall washing basket. They cannot jump out. This is my tip for the day. There are six still, two are hiding. 

The Barn Chooks are out and about. Which is not good as Our John the Head Gardener has been planting the cabbages. Of course now that he has planted cabbages they are calling for 1 – 3 inches of snow this morning. Hopeless. I invited the pigs back into the barn last night and was almost flattened in the polite-ish pig like rush. Sheila said: Excuse Me. Poppy said: Shove Over. Tima and Tane said nothing at all as they declined the offer being tough little New Zealand piggies.(Sometimes I think I am the wimp). Kim’s Half Way Hen House is easy to close down so they will be fine.  It is actually warmer when it snows.

So, the Son of- the Son – of Neanderthal Man is in charge of the Barn Chooks now.

Below is The Son of Neanderthal Man.  The Old Chief.  Lucky his son left him alive actually as The Son of Neanderthal killed his own father (Neanderthal Man) to get the girls. They can be pretty rough these chooks.

This week I will get The Cadet to hold him for me while I trim his beak, he lost the lower half in a fight with his ungrateful son and so the top part of the beak will just keep on growing, like a finger nail, so I trim it with nail scissors every now and then so he can still eat.

I am not sure where the Son of- the Son of -the Son of -Neanderthal man was today. (Oh yes it does go on). We call him Bob of course. As you would.  They are all identical except in age.

I am very scatterbrained this morning. Hope you are keeping up.

Now here is a treat. Godot in the Peacock Palace. These shots were taken yesterday from the other side of the barn, up high in the loft. Across the great divide. They hang out in there a lot in the day time. It is their safe place.

Isn’t he a sensation. Soon I will close the door on them. Peacocks and Peahens can wreak pure havoc on emerging vegetable gardens. So a third of the second story of the barn has been netted off for them for early summer living. They still get sun and they can fly in there. Do you remember when the peahens ate all Johns greens that year. Was that last spring? No, it must have been the year before because Kupa, the Blue peacock, was still alive. Well anyway, we don’t want to go through that again. Both the peafowl and the peafowl keeper were threatened with expulsion!  He was really mad with us. Best we all keep a low profile until the gardens are established.

Of course as you know, I also want to collect a clutch of peahen eggs this summer to incubate them. And keeping nesting peahens close to home is safer.

I hope you have a lovely day today.

Love your friend on the farm,

celi