Saturday 19 March 2011

The Hens have a Birthday.






We have been waiting for a calm day since our new cockerel arrived. If we try to clean out the hen house on a breezy day the straw blows everywhere and there is enough straw blowing about from bedding the cows down without adding to it.

Today it is calm and fairly sunny and this morning the farmer emptied the henhouse. After lunch we both brushed down the cobwebs and scraped all the surfaces clean. The hens knew we were up to something and kept coming in to have a look.

Then the farmer fetched the straw and we scattered it about the floor. I got a scoop of corn and scattered amongst it so that they could have a good scratchy search when they came in for the night. Then it was fresh water, gather up the eggs and leave them to it. They were in and scratching in no time at all. It is good to see them so happy - happy hens make for good eggs!

Then Tess and I went for our walk. The first thing we saw was this balloon waving about in the hedge. These balloons (and even worse Chinese lanterns) are such a danger to cattle, so I shall point it out to the farmer when I get home. I didn't fancy crossing the beck to get it off the hedge myself.

Further up the field a patch of grey "fluff" - I suspect a buzzard has had a rabbit - there is only one little bone left, the rest has been devoured. We have a pair of buzzard who circle high above the fields and rabbit is their favourite food.

It is a full moon tonight - do remember to look at it as this is the nearest it has been to the earth for ten years and it should look spectacular. Have a good weekend.

14 comments:

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Edward and Apple are mesmerized by this moon.

Rarelesserspotted said...

An excellent and informative post as always Weaver; we'll be looking at the moon tonight with out new telescope if the cloud clears - it was such a clear morning this morning - great to see some sun.
x

Heather said...

What a lovely sight all those eggs are. Your hens should be very happy with all the home comforts - and seem to be rewarding you well. I hadn't realised that Chinese lanterns might scare cattle until you mentioned it - I'll stop liking them now and certainly wont use any. I hope the sky stays clear for the moon tonight - I'll try to get a good photo of it.

John Going Gently said...

a nice snippet of normality!
ave a lovely weekend

angryparsnip said...

I don't live on a farm so...
How often do you clean the Hen House ?
Do you clean the nest too ? you said that after your cleaned up you gathered the eggs...
Do you put corn and straw down every week ?
This inquiring mind needs to know.

The photo of the nest with eggs is quite lovely.

cheers, parsnip

mrsnesbitt said...

We are having a drive down to Sandsend to look at the moon, will be taking my camera. Yes - always a lovely feeling when the henhouse is nice and clean - I'll be doing ours this weekend.

Tom Stephenson said...

They should dress up as chickens and go out on the town.

Crafty Green Poet said...

ah the special full moon, hidden away behind the Edinburgh clouds...

what did our predatory birds do before the rabbit was introduced to this country?

Share my Garden said...

The buzzards are busy around our area also, leaving flurries of pigeon feathers in the fields. Today I was sad to find a big hare minus its innards. (I'm assuming it was the buzzards, as surely a fox would have taken the whole hare away?)

Titus said...

Lovely post Weaver, but oh, I've got cloud, cloud and more cloud.

Unknown said...

I am thinking of fresh farm eggs with rich yellow yolks. Oh, the horrible excuse for eggs in the Toronto grocery stores! Once the weather improves, we will be out to the farms to get some better eggs. Thanks for sharing, Weaver. I will think of your eggs as I moon gaze tonight.

Hildred said...

It has rained all day here, but as I look out now to ponder the prospects of seeing the 'super' moon the sky has cleared, there is a lovely gentle sunset and just a few clouds hugging the hills in the East, so we will be watching, and will give a thought to your hens, snug in their spring cleaned abode.

ChrisJ said...

A "good scratchy search" --just what they need!. You know why you get such good produce and eggs? It's because you know what keeps them all happy and to keep them happy you have to treat them like animal-persons, not just commodities.

The Weaver of Grass said...

The moon was a bit of a disappointment as there was such a haze.

Angry parsnip asks about hen keeping. They need cleaning out regularly and fresh straw putting down. Yes we do clean the nest boxes too. I have never understood why they all choose to lay in one box rather than in them all. They need layers pellets and corn and fresh water every day - and are always delighted if you take them any remains of meals - they clean it up in no time - as they do greenery from the veggie garden.

Titus - I asked the farmer about the hare and he said it could have been a fox which had been disturbed but he didn[t rule out the buzzard.