Four!

The Chicken Diary: Following on from yesterday, re: the black speckled hen who was nesting in the dustbin in the awning which is now a hat upon the caravan roof.

So after I finished writing the blog yesterday, Hubs charged in saying; "She's out of the nest! She's left the eggs! She's got a couple of little ones with her! Can't leave her out in the rain! Got to find somewhere dry for her! Where can we put her! What about the wood shed!" this all gobbled out at a frantic pace.

Out we all trooped. There she was, all in a huddle by a puddle, of which there are many due to the torrential  monsoon-type rain we are having. Aw, she looked so worried. But then Gus and Bools were also 'helping', which didn't help matters much. She must have given up with the awning-which-was-no-more, or perhaps got p*******d off with the Limousin hen, which is three times her size, she being a Bantam and therefore quite small. The Limo has had the habit of squeezing in beside her to lay her egg, which she does most days. It must have been quite a squash. Perhaps she was worried about the safety of her chicks or perhaps she was ticked off about the awning, or perhaps it was a combination of both. Or perhaps she was fed up with me going in to get the Limo's egg. Either way, she had abandoned three eggs.

Hubs picked her up. One chick. Out fell another from her feathers. Two. Then another. Three. Into the Pig  / Chicken / Once upon a time office Hut she was put. A bed of straw was laid down for her, and the dustbin, still with its three eggs in, put in as well. Door shut. Upon a visit this morning, and upon being lifted up a foot or two above the ground, one and two and three dropped out of her feathers again. And then a fourth! Oh hasn't she done well! Only two eggs which didn't hatch out of six.

The Sheep Diary: It's been monsoon time here, as I said earlier. Out in the Sheep Arbre this morning, getting the wet straw up from the floor, with the rain pounding down on the roof, and all of us, which included all the sheep plus the two dogs, all of us in the dry. Normally the sheep will do a 'We are scared of you' charge away from us. Not today. Today they decided that we were their buddies. The big ewe's teats have dropped slightly. Would be best to have that lamb now really, as it is still warm.  Probably, though, it will happen in the first cold snap of the winter!

The Jacob ram is pushing his way into the feeding trough now, having decided not to remain intimidated by his future wives, all of whom are bigger than he is. I keep hoping he will put some height on, as I fear that he will have to have a step ladder if he is going to achieve his role in the flock, which is to father the lambs of 2012. The 2011 lambs were put in the pot by the ram now in the freezer, who, by the way, is delicious. We ate a bit of him at the weekend. Bless him. I remain in respect of him, and do not forget those last few days of his, when he was thoroughly satiated with procreative duties.

Oh goody! It has just stopped raining for the moment. Off to get some hay into the Sheep Arbre. Our sheep don't like the rain, and complain loudly that they are hungry, but 'Do not expect us to go out and get wet' is their attitude.

And this morning I had a precious moment, when us and our flock were in unison about the weather.