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Posted: 22 July 2008 at 9:37pm | IP Logged

Let me tell you a story;

My mum was 50 last month and asked for chickens for her birthday. My dad made a chicken run in the old barn at the back of the garden and on saturday they went out with Edward and bought 4 mixed, rare breed chickens. Edward chose his favorite which was named Edwina. The other 3 were called Antonia (after DH Tony), Roberta (after my dad Robert) and Thomasina (after my brother Tom).

All was well and they settled in well. Then on ssturday evening we realised they could fly better than expected and were sat on top of the run - nearly escaping so my dad and his friend clipped there wings. Unfortunately he forgot to shut the gate!

But all was well - at 7am when he got up they were wandering round the garden, he went out, mum got up at 8.15 and there was only one chicken left. Mum was beside herself and her and dad searched everywhere. There were feathers in the hedge and along the path out of the back, they searched in the fields out the back but no sign. They decided the fox must have got them. The only surviver was Edwina!

Mum decided she had to start again and put it down to experience. She went out monday morning and bought 4 more chickens, giving her 5 in all. She started to bond with the new ones when...

...dad got home from work and Antonia was sitting by the run. So when mum got home they went searching through the brambles at the back. And low and behold Roberta and Thomasina turned up too. They hadnt been eaten - they had seen Chicken Run and escaped! (Or the cat might have scared them off).

So now mum has 8 chickens!

Ideas for the names of the other 4 chickens greatly appriciated!

I havent stopped laughing since!

Posted: 23 July 2008 at 9:25am | IP Logged

Awww thats such a happy ending.... i'm so glad the nasty old fox didn't have a full belly.

Here's to fresh eggs coming out by the bucket load!

Posted: 23 July 2008 at 6:00pm | IP Logged

Awwww chickens are great! My Dad had chickens when we were kids and it was a great experience. We collected the eggs, handled the chickens and helped feed/water them. He also bred a clutch one year and it was great to see them grow from eggs to chicks to hens (I didn't like the fact that the spare cockrels got 'rehomed' to my Dad's farmer friend, but I suppose at least we didn't have to be involved in that bit)

Hmmmm... names... we called our favourite chicken Henrietta and she used to come running when you called 'chuck! chuck! chuck!' Chucky and Henrietta ois about as imaginative I as can go for hen names lol.