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Posted: 05 September 2008 at 8:59am | IP Logged

I had to post this as its just had me in stitches for the past few months.

I did explain some of this in a previous post but just to recap:

Mum got some chickens for her 50th birthday in June. 4 to be precise. Her, Dad and Eddy went to collect them and eds chose his own. They were named after the men in the family (Edwina for eds, Roberta for my dad, Thomasina for my brother and Antonia for DH).

Then disaster happened and 3 chickens disappeared - only Edwina remained. Mum was so upset, there was some evidence the fox had found them. She decided to replace them straight away. She bought 4 more.

2 days later the 'lost' chickens came home! We think my cat had scared them off! So mum now finds herself with 8 chickens! Thankfully they have a big garden and dad built a big chicken coop.

So we all laughed a lot and thought the chicken saga had come to an end. Until...

3 weeks ago we were all enjoying a beer in the garden when all of a sudden 'Cock a doodle do!' we all turned around and Thomasina was marching round looking very proud. Oh no we all thought.

Then a week later. Hmm that grey one looks a bit 'male' we thought, closely followed by spotting him mounting one of the chickens. Oh no again! Mum had named this chicken Ma-Julie (after her) so she wanted to keep him. However Thomasina is now waiting til culling time when a local farmer will sort him out so we can have him for dinner. Ma Julie was saved as he didn't crow, and its safe to keep one to avoid the fights.

Except at the weekend i was there and 'Cockadoodle doooo' I looked round and it was MaJulie! Oh no! But when I looked closely....

'Mummmm! I think Edwinas a cockerel too'! His comb and the dangly bit by the chin (forgotten the name) had grown considerably - and he was starting to fight with the other cockerals.

Mums a bit annoyed as she was assured they were all chickens! Now she will have to have 2 culled and will keep Edwina (as eds would be upset if Edwina went anywhere). Plus when we stay at mum and dads our bedroom faces the chickens and 6am every morning the Cockerels compete in their morning calls! Mum and dad and my brother are facing the other direction and don't hear it but I sure do!

All this grief - and they are currently only getting 1 egg a day!

So thats the chicken saga so far - Mum plans to write a book on how NOT to look after chickens!

Ive added some pics for you too!

Eds and the chickens - Bobby (Roberta), Biddy, Tommy (Thomasina), Megan, Toni (Antonia), Maddy (dont ask!), Eddy (Edwina) and Ma-Julie

Ma-Julie practicing her cockadoodledoooo!

Edwina - Eds choice and another probable cockeral!

Posted: 05 September 2008 at 9:24am | IP Logged

Awww bless her hope they start producing more eggs soon for her......

Wonder if the chickens/cockerals can keep up when the clocks change.... otherwise you'll certainly be getting up at silly o'clock.

Posted: 05 September 2008 at 9:35am | IP Logged

Dont say that! We'll be spending a lot of time there soon as Tony is away on business loads over the next few months and I cant be here on my own.

Argh lots of early starts then!

Posted: 05 September 2008 at 9:43am | IP Logged

Trip to boots then for ear plugs..... or cotton wool with vaseline on one end to block out some of the noise then.

Hope they don't get you up too early.

Posted: 05 September 2008 at 8:35pm | IP Logged

Sorry I meant she was told they were all hens.

They were 'point of lay' but some where younger than others.

Posted: 06 September 2008 at 12:55pm | IP Logged

Sam the problem is mum bought rare bread chickens so they dont look like 'normal' chickens anyway. Apparently an expert can tell at birth what sex they are - so obviously the farm mum got hers from were no experts!

My dream is to keep rare breed pigs in dorset (love that part of the world!) but I would need a lottery win to have that opportunity.

We're staying at mum and dads tonight, but eds is staying with friends so I've packed my ear plugs.