Mud and Oomska

So much rain has drenched the plot just lately that I squelch and slip my way to the chickens morning and night in a gloomy mood. This isn't helped by being harassed by the sheep, turkeys and chickens on the plot opposite who baaa, cluck and squawk for at me from behind their fencing. I occasionally catch one of the owners leghorn hens in the orchard looking for my chooks food as it has learnt (very clever those leghorns) how to negotiate the wire fencing that surrounds my birds little garden.

I think the guy who owns this plot has abandoned his livestock. They never seem to have any water or food and generally look neglected. This bothers me so much I've been buying extra corn for his birds and a loaf of bread every other day for the sheep which they greedily devour. I really need to have a word with this chap to see if he's going to let this continue but I know I'll come across as a 'nosy neighbour' and probably offend him.

Anyway the weather is so grim I've dug out some more pics from summer to cheer me up and show what the plot CAN look like in a bit of summer sun...

...when the orchard has more lush grass and clover than the current quagmire of mud.

By the way here's the next profile of the chicken gang - Fran.

Fran was also one of the original four birds. Always the one with the most investigative personality, I knew I'd have my hands full with this one. Before the arrival of the roosters, she was relentlessly picked on by the two red hens and was definately the bottom of the pecking order so I've always been very protective of her. Nowadays she receives 'special' attention from Louis, the cockerel in her coop and has risen in the ranks, picking on the younger bird in this troop. She still gives me the runaround at dusk, always the last one in this bird, eeking every last ounce of light from the day.

Here's some shots of her sister hen, Claudia, shown previously, with her little brood last May. Hard to believe that less than a year on they are fully grown and have characters of their own.

This one is from the very night they were born...

The protective Mum...

Claudia would lure them outside once I'd added the little run I'd built for them...

Little monkeys...