egg layers!

well the two new girls survived the night but are still being picked on by the others. However they have both layed an egg this morning! Poor little things. they talk away to me and are not so scared of me as the others. I shall give them some tidbits when the others aren't looking to reward them for the eggs.One of the newby's has just emerged from the front garden. God knows how she got there but at least she was heading home and went straight into the pen when I called her.
The duck is still sitting on her eggs and the father keeps coming ever so often to have a look at her.
nothing else to report.
sheila x

Sold a pup?

We stopped on the way home at a chicken farm and asked if he had any chickens he wanted to rehome? no he did not, he said. all my chickens are perfect but I will sell you two. When we got them home we found that they are threadbare and one in particular has been so badly henpecked it's practicely naked around the neck! Of course as soon as we put them in with the other hens they were attacked and had even more feathers pulled out! We have seperated them for now but will put them in to sleep together tonight. god knows what the morning will bring.

popes

I had to laugh this morning when I read a review of a book by John Julious Norwich called "the Popes"
Describing a 10th century pope he wrote "We read with some surprise that his rapes of virgins and widows had deterred female pilgrims from visiting the shrine of St.Peter,lest in the devout act,they should be violated by his successor"
And on the trial of John XX111 in 1416 " The most scandalous charges were suppressed. the vicar of christ was only accused of piracy,murder,rape,sodomy and incest"
Paul II in 1464 only had two weeknesses, for good looking young men and for melons. A surfeit of both brought on the stroke that killed him!
and finally the incorrigible John XXIII was rumoured to have seduced 200 matrons, widows and virgins, to say nothing of an alarming number of nuns!

Oh well. The more things change the more they stay the same!
Sheila x

wonderfully camauflaged

15 duck eggs in the nest so far. Aren't they well hidden? graham scared the mother off when he started to mow the grass but I guess she will come back as she did last year.

Yesterday

Deciding to pull myself together, graham and I went to a local shop. On our way there we decided to visit our old hens in their new home. What a surprise to find Ed the Duck still firmly in charge. Still bossing the two cockerels, who are so grown that we hardly recognised them. One of our original hens has died but the others are still the same. they all live in a hut with a big fat pig! They perch on his back and he doesn't seem to mind. There were three horses, several very noisy geese and two large owls, and one small owl. all in all a total menagerie. We came away with some fresh eggs and an invitation to visit any time!
The weather is absolutely glorious and spring is definately here. Time to put the garden furniture out. Perhaps not, as soon as we do the weather will revert back to winter.
sheila x

Thanks for your concern!

Today I had to have a fasting blood test at the doctors. It's the first time I have been out for a week. I even missed the W.I last night as I didn't feel well enough. However I should say that I am feeling much better then I did and all I have wrong now is a hacking cough. Thanks to all the people who telephoned and wrote to see how I was. Graham has just taken me to the shops which I needed to do but I have come back feeling exhausted! ( End of whinge!)

spring lambs

I am still not well enough to go out so Graham took these photos of the new lambs near our house. Aren't they adorable?