The French title has little relevance to any of the content here.. if anything I would encourage you to see it as a demonstration of my wit and good humour. For the last few weeks I have been conducting a Canadian adventure with my valiant comrade (my Mother). Now now everyone, here’s the punchline, for it wasn’t in fact the East side (French-speaking Quebec) that we resided, but the West Side (the Rockies)! Nothing French at all! Oh the irony .. (perhaps don’t judge my wit and good humour according to this…).
Anyway, enough of that .. let’s cover more pressing issues, such as arriving back at the farm empty handed because my luggage was lost in transit. However, being reunited with my wonderful animals and receiving encouraging words from Olivia down the phone, I soon stopped blaming others (a progressive stage of grief) and stopped moaning (not an official stage, more a childish habit I have never grown out of ..tehe). Only then could I accept the current situation and move on.
During the day prior to my arrival, I received an amusing email from GJH Rainey explaining how Chicken Corner had “gone to pot”. Not literally, gosh no! That really would be terrible. No no, more from a management’s perspective (my very important job). I guess what did he expect: Management leaves = Uncontrollable anarchy... reproductively speaking at the least. Give these hens an inch and they’ll take a metre, 20 metres at that! All the way to the barn! Absolutely outrageous.
Wandering round the whole farm therefore, I came across a range of hens in various stages of motherhood, from a broody Pekin here to an erratic Orpington there. This particular Orpington hen has an oil-stained tail. Purely a technical fault with my Land Rover – no one really to blame; though under my breath I acknowledged the laziness of this hen who had obviously remained in the same spot underneath the vehicle and consequently, enabled the large stain to occur. I don’t mean to go on, its just a particular event that bugs me.
As I strolled on further, I also realised that the protective Light Sussex hen who had hatched 7 chicks (remember?) well.. she has abandoned them, all (or only) 6 of them! GJH informed me of this reduction in numbers after I had already made the observation myself. It seems to becoming a common theme, not telling me significant events if I am away. But I know its in my best interests. The emotional side effects would be too great otherwise. It’s not worth the hassle.
However, a nice surprise included the new single Light Sussex mother painting the farm red with her 3 little chicks. It isn’t an ideal situation as Chicken Corner cannot afford to fund another financial-benefits seeker .. (they require more chick-crumb, you see). I do however, take my hat off (if I had one, they are all in my lost luggage!) to that hen as she pushed on against the odds and hatched the babies, having failed miserably earlier in the year. She is coping admirably with her newfound role – but if I could offer one piece of advice to her – don’t take your babies through thick, long grass, they become entangled in the shoots and topple over!
Overall, all members are looking ship-shape, if perhaps a little chilly. So to get them ready for this winter’s beast from the east, I’ll be busy and I hope to keep you updated along the way.
Chat soon, chicks! x
Written: 26th September 2018
