Dysfunctional February

This afternoon I researched the month of February: its origins, symbols and astrological meanings; just the general things all budding philosophers should enlighten themselves with. In short, I found out that the current Gregorian Calendar month we find ourselves in derived from the Latin term 'februum' meaning purification. The Romans called it 'Februarius' and performed a cleansing ‘ritual’ called 'Februa' on the date of 15th February. It just so happened to be the day after Valentine’s Day in honour of the Christian martyr, Saint Valentine of Rome. (interesting? I think so). But, apparently the romantic loving side of Valentine’s day did not come about until the 14th century when courtly love began to flourish .. only to be later enhanced by 18th and 19th centuries which developed traditions including presenting flowers and letter writing to loved-ones.

All very interesting, but you may be wondering how this relates to the quotidian lives at Chicken Corner. Well, it does, and I don’t need to prove it, yet as always I will!

Over the past few weeks I have seen a shift in individuals’ temperaments. To say it bluntly, its simply been like Piccadilly Circus on the Farm lately! No one has been quite themselves and to further my angst, the general vibe Wikipedia is churning out about February’s mood is not quite matching up with that of the chickens.

‘What’s been going on?’ I hear you ask.

‘What hasn’t?!’ I reply.

It all started when the gang that had been so happy (for way too long), having had access to every corner of the farmyard, suddenly met the chicken-proof wire fence as I segregated the specific breeds off into their designated enclosures. From that moment, everyone was slightly perturbed – one Buff Orpington hen performed a classic ‘stressed-out’ chicken-ritual, walking up and down the fence trying to find a hole, alas without success… I knew she wanted to continue adding to her clutch of eggs in the barn, but now I had intervened and set her on a different path .. to lay in the proper house. She was not having it and has been on egg-laying strike ever-since, so stubborn! I don’t know where she gets it from?

If I was to give that hen one redeeming feature however, I would say at least she was quiet about the whole thing.. because gosh.. many others were and to this day ARE NOT.

Every day, I hear the tremendous squawking of the Light Sussex hen, having laid, yet another egg, right outside the backdoor under the holly bush. What is it with this breed and shrubbery?!

To add to the raucous affair, one of the retired Light Sussex (no longer expected to lay; just chill) has decided to re-emerge into the working-world and foster eight 12 week old chicks after their original mother walked out on them. At night she cuddles them under her wings and during the day, creates unusual motherly clucking noises to call to them. Such a matriarch – I love it!

Finally, the three Brahma hens are the chatter-boxes of the orchard, constantly got something to spout about. We were all finding worms in the soil together this afternoon. Their male companion (of considerable younger age) hasn’t quite found the confidence to make his romantic move on them yet. For now, the hens are in charge and he is way down the pecking order. Cupid’s arrow may have been lost in transit?? Here’s hoping.

So as you may have already recognised, February hasn’t been the conventional contentment, love and romance for many at Chicken Corner. Well, perhaps the retired/new-career-girl Light Sussex is just enjoying Cupid’s more sentimental off cuts, who knows?

One thing I do know: its all gone a bit awry here!

Bye chicks! x

Written: 23rd February 2019

Making a splash!

The internationally renowned event known as Chicken Corner’s duck pond clean-out occurred in fantastical style this morning. The pond itself is a glorified sandpit – doing well at the staggering age of 24 years. Its life has been filled with fun. From its conventional use as a sandpit which toddlers, Izzi and Olivia enjoyed! .. to (one of the) French-Revolution-like barricades blocking the hole in the wire that prevented any predatory fox clambering through and claiming yet another life. The ‘Early Learning’ plastic pit remained dedicated to its post for five long years, lost and forgotten amongst the chicken wire and intertwining brambles at the end of the orchard.

This all changed, however, when the new ducks arrived, actually I correct myself, one year after the ducks arrived – early in 2018. Prior to this, I had started to realise that two increasingly (again, plastic!) dilapidated washing-up bowls were not to suffice this pair of ducks’ joy of water. Therefore, I dragged the pit up to their enclosure and began the long and arduous process of filling it!

So.. a couple of years down the line, we come full-circle and actually, back to the original commemorated ritual: cleaning it!

STEP ONE: Remove the ducks (use a foot to guide them)

Their serenity is suddenly broken as they panic to reach the sides; simultaneously brown sludge splashing in all directions. Gathering momentum, they heave themselves over the sides, only to be met by the muddy ground faster than expected, thus splattering themselves with dirt.

STEP TWO: Empty pit of water and sludge

This step requires technique and muscular power. I grab one end and slowly raise it like a scene from the incredible hulk .. it was made more difficult due to a lack of sensation in my cold, numb hands, however, I powered on through and as a treat, the already-saturated ground was drenched with yet more water and mud.

STEP THREE: Let the trek begin…

To scrub and refill the container requires a total of 8 watering cans. Two are used for loosening, scrubbing and washing-away any slit/residue. Six are used to refill the pit so that it takes on the form of a mini pond once again. It is a very satisfying process but takes a while, as the hosepipe is approximately 65 metres away and only two cans can be filled and carried at one time (its all quite obvious).

STEP FOUR: The pond becomes a ‘Duck’ pond

With a little gentle encouragement, this now clean little water-basin transforms into a duck pond as the pair make their way up the brick staircase and propel themselves into the water! It really is magical… and order is resumed.

The white female energetically bobs her head up and down, whilst swimming in circles around the drake and quacking loudly – this means she’s content. The drake starts quacking (less erratically) and they both begin ducking (pardon the pun) their heads under water, swimming under the surface in sudden dashes and most commonly, using their wings to splash the water around themselves so that it gets to every nook-and-cranny! They tend to finish with several wing flaps. With this, the celebration is over.

*CUT!*

Until next time, chicks x

Written: 28th January 2019

Majestic Matriarchs

This sudden serge in cold, frosty temperatures has taken certain individuals at Chicken Corner by surprise.. and by that I mean the new(-ish)-born chicks inhabiting ‘The Shed’, as well as those stationed at various locations around the farm. Their mothers desperately try to increase surface area to accommodate, what must seem like, FOREVER-growing offspring. If pragmatism and equality-for-all prevailed perhaps, a head of each could fit, but usually one ‘cookoo-style’ chick – essentially, an opportunist by nature – manages to bag ‘best seat in the house’, fully incubated under its mother’s warm body whilst its siblings assume an instinctive ‘Emperor Penguin’ huddle amongst themselves.

Observing several families develop over the past couple of months has been very insightful indeed, as each mother appeared to adopt unique approaches to parenthood. It was amazing to witness the Buff Orpington, now down to 4 chicks (after one sadly drowned in the duck pond) and the Light Sussex with 3 chicks, actually join troops like members of a 1960s commune. This surprised me for two reasons: 1.) In the past Chicken Corner has seen a number of hens share parental responsibilities because they went broody together and shared the same nest of eggs. However, these two hens had different nests with exactly 65 yards distance between them. 2.) In the early stages, when their chicks were a few weeks old, you should have seen the hens’ vexation towards one another! Natural precautionary measures to ensure their own chicks’ survival I suppose. So, I must reiterate my fascination, not only with their recent behavioural transformation, but additionally their blossoming familial relationships.

A breakdown of their quotidian routine is as such - they begin at breakfast, sharing chick crumbs and layers pellets under an expansive Norfolk sunrise. From here, they often take a leisurely stroll around the back garden with oodles of rose bushes and archways to captivate the eye, (and I didn’t want to break the romantic illusion, but also a 3x2 metre trampoline, without its protective cover as that blew off sometime ago in a rough storm).. If I’m honest, there is no other part to their daily ritual and the ‘leisurely stroll’ essentially lasts all day until about 2pm when its dinner time and all Chicken Corner members come together in rather spectacular fashion.

But during the day, when these unlikely families partner up, I like to think that while the ‘kids’ play (scrabbling around looking for worms or chasing flies), the mums chat away about the one thing their whole lives revolve around, and in fact their innate purpose for being, their chicks. For it is only natural that a mother’s instinct is to protect and care for her offspring – and this is replicated throughout the animal kingdom, and if I might add, perfectly captured in ‘Dynasties’ (6 part series narrated by David Attenborough on BBC One). It puts into perspective just how incredibly important a ‘Mother’ is in Nature’s hierarchy of things.

This week however, (and please don’t cry, its only Nature’s way) the Light Sussex left her 3 offspring to fend for themselves as she went back to the orchard to join the ‘retirement home’ enclosure within the realms of Chicken Corner. She, herself, is not of retirement age, but the old girls with whom she shares, are, and although I am placing human emotion on a natural form, I could not bear to part with them and hence they will remain here until death do us part.

It is this hen’s three chicks (2 males & 1 female) that I caught yesterday evening to place in the (ever-so-slightly) warmer Shed.. two of which I caught in one but the last I had to stalk in the dark for 20 minutes before she decided to reside in a tree and I made this my moment to strike. Success!

They have joined the likes of Gigi, the gold partridge hen, with her 12 pom-pom chicks and my beautiful red pekin with her 5 black not-so-little babies including a lavender #throwback pullet (a new favourite I have to say). Finally, last but certainly not least, a very young mother with her 8 1 week-old chicks. I know I know, these hens need to control their hormones!.. but in my humble opinion, a new mother hen is one of the most beautiful things to see.

So on this inspiring note I shall leave you and from all new-life at Chicken Corner, we wish you a very Merry Christmas indeed!

Nice chatting, chicks! x

Written: 11th December 2018