First off, it was actually a Monday afternoon and a Tuesday morning, but none of that rhymes.
Nor is it important.
We lost nine chickens in 24 hours.
Nor is it important.
We lost nine chickens in 24 hours.
It was carnage.
The day started badly for us humans, with a grumpy father, and it ended badly for our two roosters, Goose and Freckles.
Very badly actually.
My bank holiday was rescued at 9am by some generous time-off by my lovely wife to take an hours vigorous canoe up the river in perfect conditions, followed by a family picnic on the edge of the lagoon.
Their day wasn’t.
Our two roosters have been fighting really badly over the past two days. Leaving them all bloodied and worn out. They would quite literally fight each other until they fell down and their was blood all over the place.
The day started badly for us humans, with a grumpy father, and it ended badly for our two roosters, Goose and Freckles.
Very badly actually.
My bank holiday was rescued at 9am by some generous time-off by my lovely wife to take an hours vigorous canoe up the river in perfect conditions, followed by a family picnic on the edge of the lagoon.
Their day wasn’t.
Our two roosters have been fighting really badly over the past two days. Leaving them all bloodied and worn out. They would quite literally fight each other until they fell down and their was blood all over the place.
It was time for the chop. But the kids were having none of it and I had to slip back quietly from the beach to settle matters. Man to rooster.
One got given to our top neighbour, Nonezile, and the other got given to the neighbour who lives below us, Nosandise.
Both neighbours had to promise not to leave any evidence around for our kids who think the roosters have gone to live in the forest.
By the time we walked back up the hill in the late afternoon, all that remained were our neighbours sitting on the grass in front of their hut finishing off the last of Freckle’s bones.
I felt a twinge of guilt when Mila asked to use my binoculars to see if she can spot her beloved goose in the forest later that evening.
The two fighting roosters have been replaced by the magnificent rooster Larry, who is twice as big and has been retrieved from our other neighbour, Nokulunga.
When we went to sleep last night, our latest batch of chicks were an average of 12 hours old and numbered 10.
sadly, when I went to feed them this morning there were seven little corpses, and two hanging on by a thread.
The most obvious cause was squashing.
The mother seems to have stood on all of them at one or other point during the night.
The kids sadness was compensated by us removing the two remaining chicks to hand rear inside their bedroom.
One got given to our top neighbour, Nonezile, and the other got given to the neighbour who lives below us, Nosandise.
Both neighbours had to promise not to leave any evidence around for our kids who think the roosters have gone to live in the forest.
By the time we walked back up the hill in the late afternoon, all that remained were our neighbours sitting on the grass in front of their hut finishing off the last of Freckle’s bones.
I felt a twinge of guilt when Mila asked to use my binoculars to see if she can spot her beloved goose in the forest later that evening.
The two fighting roosters have been replaced by the magnificent rooster Larry, who is twice as big and has been retrieved from our other neighbour, Nokulunga.
When we went to sleep last night, our latest batch of chicks were an average of 12 hours old and numbered 10.
sadly, when I went to feed them this morning there were seven little corpses, and two hanging on by a thread.
The most obvious cause was squashing.
The mother seems to have stood on all of them at one or other point during the night.
The kids sadness was compensated by us removing the two remaining chicks to hand rear inside their bedroom.
One has since died.
We have got a very basic system which involves a box, a teddy bear and a hot water bottle.
We have got a very basic system which involves a box, a teddy bear and a hot water bottle.
(Oops, the second one just went as well)
We don’t expect them to last the night, but the kids are pretty keen and top up the hot water bottle every two hours.
Also, again no kidding, honest truth – when I went down to close the coop last night, barefoot from the beach, I cut my foot on something sharp as I was passing the spot Nonezile had her afternoon banquet. You guessed it.
It was a chicken bone from Freckle's carcass.
It was a chicken bone from Freckle's carcass.
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