So, their time has run out, I've tried sweet talking, I've tried persuasion and I've threatened..today there was only eleven eggs collected from the "roost with a view" and there is about fifty hens happily chomping on cordon bleau ( ish ) chicken grain. There they were, soaking up the sun, legs all akimbo, wings spread apparently concentrating on everything and anything but laying an egg ! Clearly the ladies in the roost had either gone on a very much extended vacation (holiday), taken unauthorized strike action or just plain "got old" ( boy, do I know how that feels !!) Whichever excuse they would care to use if they had a voice, eleven eggs was the straw that broke the camels back and after deep and meaningful discussion (lasting at least 20 seconds) their fate was sealed. Fortunately for us, there was a ready made buyer for 30 non laying, healthly, plump egg layers, the only problem was that the buyer lives some distance away but arrangements were made and, courtesy of a farming friend, the lazy, irate ladies went on a road trip to Tacoma Mall, the Mall being a sort of half way point from I'm not sure where! Unfortunately, not all the chickens were too impressed at the unexpected turn of events, even less impressed by the road trip and one very agitated hen made a bid for freedom in the Mall parking lot, parking lots not usually being the best place for a displaced chicken. By all accounts she made 3 circuits of the lot before she was recaptured....I bet that's the first time that has happened, I have to admit, I'm very glad that I was probably up to my knees in the manure pile and very far from Tacoma Mall !! ( chicken, who, me ????)
Good news on Gertie and Gustav the Canadian Geese, they didn't elope to Canada and they didn't end up in a hunters freezer, Gertie was very much in evidence this morning, much to the annoyance of the resident (and uninvited) Gander. This morning Gertie, honking loudly did her "fly by" over the barn roof before the Shires had even had their hors d'oeuvres, settled impatiently with Gustav in the field facing the barn waiting for the big horses to come out to play. As we walked through the farm gate Gertie took her place in the procession, resolutely waddling almost under Quests tail. When she began to loose ground, (goose waddle being no match for a Shire horse going out to pasture pace) and Lady the Shire mare began to make ground Gertie flew a few feet and settled on the road again. The resident gander took to the air to defend his nest and valiant Gustav followed suit. An aerial skirmish between the hostile gander and our two guest geese ensued but Gertie played her ace and, followed by Gustav waddled into the pasture under protection of her "defense ( defence) team". Gertie is apparently a really smart confused goose !
Well, it's time for me to go, a bunch of tummy clocks are marking time and the animals are making their way to the pasture gates. It's almost time for the second shift. Diane leaves tomorrow to return to England after two weeks on the ranch. she says that it takes a week to recover from jet lag...it will take her a month to recover from hard labor at the barn !!! Thanks for your help Diane, safe journey home. Take care, keep safe, M
Good news on Gertie and Gustav the Canadian Geese, they didn't elope to Canada and they didn't end up in a hunters freezer, Gertie was very much in evidence this morning, much to the annoyance of the resident (and uninvited) Gander. This morning Gertie, honking loudly did her "fly by" over the barn roof before the Shires had even had their hors d'oeuvres, settled impatiently with Gustav in the field facing the barn waiting for the big horses to come out to play. As we walked through the farm gate Gertie took her place in the procession, resolutely waddling almost under Quests tail. When she began to loose ground, (goose waddle being no match for a Shire horse going out to pasture pace) and Lady the Shire mare began to make ground Gertie flew a few feet and settled on the road again. The resident gander took to the air to defend his nest and valiant Gustav followed suit. An aerial skirmish between the hostile gander and our two guest geese ensued but Gertie played her ace and, followed by Gustav waddled into the pasture under protection of her "defense ( defence) team". Gertie is apparently a really smart confused goose !
Well, it's time for me to go, a bunch of tummy clocks are marking time and the animals are making their way to the pasture gates. It's almost time for the second shift. Diane leaves tomorrow to return to England after two weeks on the ranch. she says that it takes a week to recover from jet lag...it will take her a month to recover from hard labor at the barn !!! Thanks for your help Diane, safe journey home. Take care, keep safe, M
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