Told off by Geese and sorry for a Cockerel ....

 

The geese followed me back over to the house this morning after breakfast 'shouting' at me all the way, the reason .....  I was late letting them out.  The sun had come up early and way before 8am it was daylight, and lovely daylight at that. 

 

 Me ....... I was sat at the computer reading a Blog!!

 

 

 

 

Sometimes when you find a new Blog, you read the latest post and make a note to go back and read each day, sometimes you get so enthralled you go back to the beginning ... the very beginning and find yourself immersed in that person's writing and life, the Blog I found this morning was all down to a comment left by the author on my post yesterday.....

 

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     John Gray 5 February 2013 22:06

Oh sue
I always wear make up when feeding my chickens!
Just because you live in the country doesn't mean that you should let yourself go

 

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What a brilliant comment after yesterdays  'Make Up' post.  Now I could blame being late to open up the bird houses on feeling guilty and the need to go out in full 'war-paint',  but no I wouldn't want to scare the birds, it was John's Blog that did it!!  It drew me in a way that only good Blogs do and made me want more, so over a leisurely cup of coffee I read more and more, and then just a little bit more.

 

John could you have a word with the geese please and explain that their late breakfast was not really my fault but yours.....all yours !

 

(Visit John's brilliant Blog HERE .... you'll see what I mean, but be careful you may lose an hour or so.)

 

 

 

Caldwell when he lived in the kitchen last month.

 

 

And the second part of this post ....... I feel so sorry for my beloved Caldwell II. He's recovered so well physically from his terrible fox inflicted injuries and his night lying out in sub-zero temperatures until I found him the next morning, that to see him at almost the very bottom of the pecking order in the flock that he once headed so bravely breaks my heart.

 

That he got his life threatening injuries defending the flock is lost on them.   

 

 

 Harold

 

In any Chicken World life is tough and when the leader goes missing a new one must, and does assume leadership immediately.  Harold was ready and only waiting for his chance and I in no way blame him, he is a magnificent big White Sussex cockerel that already had his own little harem of girls that worshipped the ground he walked on.  The other boys, Lavender Pekin Bantams and little Frizzle-cross all have their own girlfriends and have found a level playing field that suits them all.  That Caldwell used to lead the flock with so many young pretenders waiting to step into his shoes shows the power of his leadership and his strength of character.

 

Now he lives an almost solitary life, first into the henhouse at night so he can hide beneath the perching bars, last out in the morning so he can rest before he is chased away by the others.  Hiding under the trailer at corn feeding time (I always give him a handful to himself when the others are busy so they don't come and scare him away).

 

 

Poppy and Daisy

 

Why do I say 'almost at the bottom of the pecking order' and 'almost solitary life'........ because when the others aren't looking two little Lavender Pekin Bantams, Poppy and Daisy come and sit by him, they are also last out in the morning Poppy more so than Daisy and sit waiting with him on the perch at the back of the house, while I clean it out and lay fresh paper, a little bit of tenderness shown by two of his ex-wives. 

 

Life isn't all bad when there's a little bit of love.

 

Sue xx