Beryl...My Pet Hen...

It's been seriously hot this afternoon...but Blackthorn winter is fast approaching...temperatures' are set to plummet over the weekend. Blackthorn...the prickly bush that Sloes come from in Autumn is smothered in white blossom here which often brings about a change in the weather...hence Blackthorn winter...

The Cuckoo was shouting his head off this morning...small birds will find themselves rearing a big baby bird with an ever gaping beak...probably wondering where on earth did their own dainty babies disappear to...Nature can be incredibly complex at times...why have a bird that doesn't make its own nest...what is the point?

Frog spawn is amazing when you think a frog begins its life as a blob of jelly that grows legs and swims about, until, in time ,it becomes a green creature that hens love to murder when they catch one and cats spit out in disgust...my hens were dreadful if they happened upon a frog...the hen that'd caught it would dash about with all her friends chasing her, while she clucked and ran around with frog legs hanging out of her beak...

They used to catch butterflies as well...they'd take a flying leap into the air and land with a Cabbage White...

Hens can be awful bullies...the trolls of the farmyard actually...put a couple of new hens in with the established birds and the newbie's will be tormented and chased and not allowed near the feed...my Beryl was a devil for bullying...she was a lovely big brown hen who'd follow me about the garden waiting for me to give her cut worms...her beady eyes all bright with anticipation, she'd snatch them out of my fingers and swallow them with a gulp...I was given some Bantams...dear souls with feathery feet and little feather hats on their heads...Beryl took one look and decided she loathed these pretty little hens...she'd snatch at their hats and yank out feathers...climb on top on them when they were trying to lay in a nest box so they'd move to another one and she'd follow and repeat the process until they gave up and laid in the hedge...

Beryl eventually realised she'd have to put up with the new additions...but it did take her a while.

Sometimes a Bantam would go missing and I'd walk up and down the neighbouring fields to find her...thinking she must have fallen victim to a Fox or Mink I'd eventually give up...to be greeted one day by her sudden reappearance...with eight tiny babies trotting behind her. Stumbling over the grass and falling flat on their faces while she kept up a constant chatter...stopping to let the stragglers catch up.

The cats eyes would grow dark with lust...their tails would twitch and throaty miaows sounded their evil intentions while I told them if they so much as looked at those chicks they'd be on a one way trip to the cats home. They'd gaze at me sorrowfully to see if I meant it, then stalk off...tails held high, to race each other to the top of the nearest tree.

[redted]

I didn't realise hens were bullies,when we used to take our caravan to farm sites the hens used to roam about free,they would come and peck at the van door until you gave them a few crumbs,

I love the feathery feet on banties, hope the cats left the chicks alone, as for the frogs,not a lover at all.

[Hidden in reply to redted]

They are such pretty little birds...eggs are really tiny, just right for small childrens breakfast...

[Hidden]

I remember when I was a child we had a problem with bullying and the remedy then was to fit each 'problem' chicken with a tiny natty pair of red specs! It was an amusing but effective solution. Once on a quiz show a few years ago a pair of these plastic specs where produced and no one amongst the contestants could guess what they were! Thanks for the memory Vashti and do you abide by the rule of never bringing May blossom into the house? A supposed symbol of bad luck... Xris

[Offcut in reply to Hidden]

I saw a program about that some years back some place in the USA had thousands of them walking about with the red specs on.

I was told by a local turkey farmer that if a turkey got a taste of blood after a fight it would have to be killed as it would go though them all?

[Hidden in reply to Offcut]

I have heard this...Himself says they'll fight out of pure boredom when they're all kept squashed up in intensive farming conditions...it begins with feather-pecking... which is why they're debeaked...doesn't stop it altogether though...the feather pecking makes the bird bleed...then the others home in on the blood...Free Range pastureland is the answer!

[Offcut in reply to Hidden]

Agree but some farmers look at the economics first

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I don't bring May blossom in but it's because it makes me sneeze rather than the luck part...lol

[knitter]

Our neighbours had chickens and one hen insisted in roosting in a small tree and all her small chicks had to follow, fluttering and scrambling to get under her feathers. No amount of arm waving and shouting on my part had any effect.

Our cats used to stalk them but never attacked, even when they strolled into our house.

I have never heard of blackthorn winter before, about May blossom ...very bad luck to have that in the house I was told.

Great story again Vashti, I enjoyed yesterday's too. My grandmother always said that television ended story telling evenings.

Take care

[Hidden in reply to knitter]

Certainly not May blossom in the house...it has something to do with funerals I think...!

[nharder]

Vashti, I did get a good giggle about your posts about Beryl! That was my Mother's name! She had the best sense of humour and I know that she is getting a great laugh from it also, so I just wanted to say thanks I needed that today. 😊 Nadine

[Hidden in reply to nharder]

So long as your Mother would have found it funny...and Beryl the hen was a very nice hen...lol

[nharder in reply to Hidden]

Vashti, like I said she is getting a good giggle! She also had pulmonary issues, that is why. She had the sense of humour and it's ironic! Thanks, Nadine 😊

[hufferpuffer]

Loved your post Vashti , you brought back memories of when I had hens. At the moment I have a couple of pheasants ( mr&mrs pheso ) one lonesome Dove and a pack of rats x

[Hidden in reply to hufferpuffer]

Rats....!

[coughleigh]

Vashti you always take me back to my school summer holidays in Ireland.My parents were Irish I was born and lived in London.My aunt and uncle had a smallholding just outside Dublin in a place called Finglas.Then 2pubs a church and a tobacconist,now almost a little city.I loved it there.nearly every night after a day spent sacking for pinkeens (little fish)feeding the pigs and walking the greyhounds all 3off them and they were racing ones at that,then some of the neighbours came in .They always brought a few crates with them plus a fiddle,accordian ,my aunt played a harp and then the music and singing would start.one night so cold that the barrel of rainwater under the parlout window froze and one of the lads complained about a pain in his back.My lovely aunt got out the horse embrocation and rubbed his back with it and told him to get closer to the turf fire.After about 10mins there was an almighty yowling and Sean jumped through the window and broke up the ice .He was on fire with the embrocation.So many great memorys,thanks again Vashti love and best wishes for a peaceful night mags xx

[Hidden in reply to coughleigh]

That was a lovely story Mags...really enjoyed reading it...Finglas is all built up now.

[bulpit]

Morning Vashti, Sounds like a war zone, very descriptive, wouldn't want to be a frog, Beryl sounds delightful, didn't realise hens are so aggressive, All that Blackthorn blossom Vashti, bring on the Sloe Gin, Have a good weekend, Regards Bulpit

[Hidden in reply to bulpit]

Hens can be vicious...they'll sometimes pick one out and peck it to death...

[Azure_Sky]

When we had the print business, I called on a customer. To my amazement she had Chinese crested chickens walking around with a dog and a cat. She said they curled up in a basket to sleep at night. I did take a photo, but it is on a floppy disc.

[Hidden in reply to Azure_Sky]

My cats were ok with grown up hens...it was the chicks they fancied!

[Azure_Sky]

My mother said, bringing White Lilac indoors is unlucky.

[Hidden in reply to Azure_Sky]

I've heard the purple lilac is unlucky indoors...

[Nikkers]

I know just what you mean about cats and frogs Vashti. I have 3 of them (cats, not frogs) and if they find a frog they place themselves around it so there's no way for it to jump. The poor thing can only sit there and scream (frogs make a horrible noise when they're scared) and I have to go and rescue it. As you say, cats don't eat them, to them it's just a "bit of fun."

Talking of hens.......I had to take one of my cats to the vet last Saturday. A couple came in with something wrapped in a blanket. When they sat down next to me I could then see it was a big black and white hen! It was obviously very unwell and they had come to have it "put down." I have never heard of anyone doing that before, but I'm sure there are those that have?

Has anyone ever seen that video of the chicken that lived for years without a head? It was somewhere in the U.S. Can't remember much about it now, but just know that it was because of an accident or something?

Lovely story as usual Vashti. Thank you. XX

[Hidden in reply to Nikkers]

I didn't mean to laugh about the chicken going to the vet to be 'put down' but I did...if you keep poultry you really do need to learn to dispatch sick birds swiftly yourself...mind you, I know a girl who took her dog to the vet to pull a tick out...

Remember the headless hen...bit yucky !

[Offcut]

Once more I was at your home. I have been banned form keeping chickens

[Hidden in reply to Offcut]

Banned? By 'Er Indoors?

[Offcut in reply to Hidden]

No Consultant. Says it could mess my lungs even more ?