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
The Kitchen's Garden 
61 responses to “Movements”
Beautiful birds C.
Celi, I love spending some time each day in your barns. Thank you for all the work you do taking pictures, spending your wee morning hours typing away a bright hello to the Fellowship. I know what you mean about struggling with making good balanced decisions. I’m plenty busy with our donkey herd here. But I do admit to harboring dreams of a chicken coop ensconced in the middle of the large back paddock. Our first donkey, Paco, used to be a chicken guard for a prize flock down the road from us. He did a great job guarding the chickens… just got fired for disagreeing with the sheep over who was entitled to the grain bins…
Hmm, that is interesting about Paco. Guarding the birds, Balance. This is the thought I was trying to think of the other day! Thank you miss Meadow
I wish your Paco could have a word with our Winston. He takes great pleasure in picking up the chickens and ducks and swinging them around. The birds do not care fore that so we have had to separate them.
Winston!
Sounds like Winston needs a little donkey friend! Donkeys need to wrestle and play. Ours have a set agreement to run and wrestle when the sun butters their front paddock. That always seems to be about an hour before sundown. Winter, summer, spring or fall! The minis even wrestle with the big guys. Paco is so gentle that our smallest donkey sometimes ends up hanging on his neck while he patiently waits for her to ‘fall off’. 😉
I would love to see THAT! c
The accident chicks are just so sweet, and the roosters so unusually colored. I love how you put words in the pigs’ mouths. Most amusing. I love the tip on transporting the little ones so they don’t escape. And lastly, I love the delicate beauty of Godot’s tail. I can certainly imagine being inspired to paint him.
Still laughing. Bob. Of course he’s Bob.
You may well laugh! Did you find with the pig sounds?
Not yet. Still looking.
I will ask Diane..
Thanks. I have a secret project that may come to nothing, and since its use isn’t guaranteed, I don’t want anyone to move heaven and earth to get the sound byte.
Godoy is quite the looker.
Godot put on a smashing display, and the photograph’s almost have a “theatre” look about them, since he’s performing behind a curtain of fabulous fencing. The fencing almost looks white! Though on second thought, this also looks like one of those rough bar band stages where they have to put up fencing to protect the band from flying beer bottles and debris! You had me laughing about Neanderthal Man and Son of Neanderthal Man, and the son-of-the-son of Neanderthal Man. My mother-in-law finally gave the word to get rid of 3 roosters. The fox got one, and FD butchered the other two last weekend. We are finally down to old Earl and young Randy. They seem to be getting along. 🙂
It reminded me of The Blues Brothers scene.. you mean those bars are real? c
I love these majestic, sons of sons names we give our cockerels ! We have had The Major , The General, The private and we had one who dotted off another and a couple of hens. but he was a game bird by name and nature. At the moment we have Red and The Prince and they are getting along fine too. As for our ganders, they often go into battle!!🐔🐔🐔
What a wonderful observation.. must be because they are so upright and powerful looking. Ganders fighting – goodness – the mind boggles.. c
Everyone looks pleased to see the sun, outdoors and air. Rather than simply enduring the cold, spring activities & summer plans are afoot. The lightness of being is palpable. On the other side of the world here the mornings are darker but along with it the days blessedly cooler & less humid… and of course we don’t get snow so its never that bad.
I laughed at the image of the pigs elbowing you out of the way like at the Christmas sales, Sheila thinking “about bloody time”! Godot is a wonder, pea-chicks would be lovely. S.o.S.o.N.M. is a poster rooster as well and his ladies look so healthy & happy to be out and about. Along with sounds of the barn soundtrack; the sight of the chooks and livestock it seems take many of us back to farming roots that never quite leave us.
You have such beautiful birds on the farmy. Of course I think you should try hatching some more Guinea fowl, but I’m partial to them you know.
Lovely post today. So an era for us has come to an ending. Gracie passed away this morning. It was time but it doesn’t heal the pain or emptiness we feel. She was a great beagle. George and Peg, her pack, are looking for her this evening.
Oh your poor thing. You worked hard to keep her alive. But it was not to be. As you said it was time. You must be feeling miserable. All our love darling girl and thank you for allowing us to stand watch with you.. c
So sorry about Gracie. Losing a long time friend is heartbreaking.
Oh so sad, I applaud your efforts. I wish all dogs had such a loving end.
I had quite the chuckle over the sequence of names ending in Bob. Thanks for that 🙂
Godot is gorgeous! Tail like a beautiful antiqued lacey doily (those wee lace mats my gran had on her dressing table, with expensive perfume bottles arranged on them).
Ah yes, well done, my Mm had doilys too, we even bought paper ones to put under the pavlova or cakes..
OMG . . . I can just hear the ‘tick, tick, tick’ after each of your tasks accomplished right across the ocean 🙂 !! I love quail eggs too but that, Miss C, would surely be just one too many . . .
The Son of- the Son – of Neanderthal Man sure is a handsome fellow. Godot is just gorgeous, Does he keeps his feather white all the time?
Yes, feathers are water proof and remarkably he is seldom dirty..
It’s nice to finally see Godot in all his splendor. Ah yes, I remember the peahens helping themselves to the special delicacies John planted for them. 😉 Roosters and chickens are a lot feistier with each other than one would suspect.