[vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_20171003″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G5_20171003″ content_type=”image” columns=”5″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Some of you have inquired about the chickens so we thought we’d do a quick update.

We found a local man who breeds chickens, we went to visit him and bought some youngsters. We started with three large ones, two hens and a cock and two small bantams – french phoenix. After the first day we were worried that the two little bantams were a bit overwhelmed by the larger hens so we went back and got two more phoenix and Antoine, the chicken man, gave us lovely little Katie, a feisty ginger midget. Sadly we lost Katie, a local dog ‘stole’ her, it was a shame she was such a character. The other all grew well and Antoine learnt to crow, it took a while and was a strange squeak for a few days after which it became our morning alarm. We had hoped the hens would be laying by now but with the very hot summer apparently many local hens aren’t performing so we have to be patient. When we collected the additional phoenix we had seen some amrock chicks and rather fallen for them, so we went back recently and took three of them. They have rather striking black and white plumage that almost looks like tweed. When we picked them up Liz saw a lovely little cockerel, a bantam that we learnt was a Spanish phoenix. We discussed it with Antoine (the man not the chicken) and he told us that two cockerels would be alright together, and the evidence of his operation is that it is true. So we decided to take the little cockerel back for the small chicks. He was immediately christened Omar because he is beautiful, proud and fierce just like our friend Omar.

All of them have names although it is very hard to tell Lily and Poppy, two of the phoenix, apart; it’s also very hard to photograph them they are shy and move quite fast. And the Amrocks, Brenda, Pierret and Coco were also very hard to distinguish. But one day Liz said ‘have you looked at Coco recently…. she seems to be developing more comb and wattle than a hen…. could she be a he?’ We have looked carefully and are fairly sure that she is a he, we are going to watch carefully, if she is a he it’s a good job she’s called Coco as it will also suit a boy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_20171003_2″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G5_20171003_2″ content_type=”image” columns=”5″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#deead0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Perhaps you would like to know…
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