And then the rest arrived

So, anyway, I was having a browse amongst the Classified Adverts on the website Anglo Info, and my eyes chanced to land upon an advert posted a couple of weeks old: For sale: chickens. 

And for some reason, not sure why, I posted a response, asking if they were still for sale. Now already we have Gang One, arriving unexpectedly, and living in the recycled pig arc until we can get the Back Field fenced and their new house built. We have no room for anymore. Really. We Do No Have Any More Room! 

Yes. The chickens were still for sale, but the flock was to stay intact. OK, I says, will pop round tomorrow and buy them. Now why did I do that! What bit of my brain makes me take these leaps! 

And here they are: Gang Two:

And Gang Two comprises: 2 brown hens, 2 black and white speckled hens, 2 multi coloured speckled hens, 1 dark coloured rooster, and 1 white rooster.

Adding the two gangs together, that makes: 6 adult hens, 3 juvenile hens, 1 juvenile cock, 2 adult cocks.

Meanwhile, Hubs urgently assembled a run for The Gangs:

And then we went shopping. Come along, Sara says, to a market on Sunday. We went, there to purchase two more hens. Limousin's apparently, with the darlingest fluffy rears which looks like frothy petticoats. None of The Gangs have these fluffy bums, and they are smaller as well, including the cocks. These are  new hens are grand hens, creamy coloured with bits of white and black, and very, very elegant.

Back at base camp: there has been a division between Gang 1 and Gang 2. Gang 1 now has a leader, the white cockerel having taken it upon himself to become king of that little flock, which  comprises all the juveniles. I am glad for him, because he has found his role. And here he is with his little band:

The darker cockerel has the rest of them, which he probably always did have, but the new girls are undecided as to who to run with. And yesterday we had our first egg, delivered by one of the new girls. But I think that it was probably one which was in 'the pipeline' so to speak, and expect there  will be no other eggs for a while until they settle down. 

For two more days they will remain in their accommodation. Then the door will be opened and out they will come. They are free range chickens, and must therefore have adventures out and about. Bools and Gus wait in anticipation. 

And we are networked now. The Dark Cockerel makes it be known, to all who would listen, that he has arrived. At day break he starts, and twenty minutes or so thereafter he yells his head off. Most times he quietens down once I deliver unto him and his girls some food. They have the main arena, which is the exterior run, and maintain dominance over this patch when food arrives. I have to sneak the food into the back door of the run for The White Cockerel's flock. He has also started crowing. It can be quite noisy here. All day it can be noisy. Cockerels do not necessarily speak their voice at dawn. At any time during the day they can sound off as well. Ah well...such is country life!

So now we have two flocks of chickens, and Hubs will have to build two new houses. And we have our first egg! Wow! And somehow, in the space a few days, we have acquired fourteen chickens!