Dilemma Problemma - The Bungalo.

As predicted here, joining Archie and his two girlfriends to the main flock was always going to be .... well, interesting.

For the first five nights Archie resisted the lure of the coop at dusk, preferring to roost in the branches of the surrounding rhododendron. Duly each night I, balanced on the hefty rockery created from the Shropshire boulders that erupt from our fields, reached up and plucked him down. After a chat and a stroke I put him to bed with the others and shut up the coop.

By day six this routine was getting tired. Hubby and I watched from the window, willing him to settle with the rest. The girlfriends seemed to have sussed it, or so we thought, in actual fact they were just more subservient than Archie. They put up with the nasty pecking from one or two of the last intake.

Archie clearly thought this was a hideous trial and continued to take to the tree.

Hubby came up with the solution, building a granny-flat on the side of the existing coop. It took almost an entire weekend to complete but Archie loved it, as did his two girlfriends. Once it was completed those three happily went to bed.......... for exactly two nights, then they all went and joined the rest of the chooks in the main coop and were made quite welcome!!

The beautiful bungalo is vacant. I'm very tempted to pop out and go to the poultry sale in Hereford to get a couple of toilet brushes silkies who are, by all accounts, excellent at sitting on eggs and raising babies. We could have ourselves another couple of Archies..... what do you think?

Slightly more concerning is the fact that either we have a bi-sexual rooster, (we're tres modern here) or Archie is actually Archinda...... Us Archers are learning every day. Learning that we know nothing!

Sadly I had to wring a neck on Sunday. One of the girls has been getting more and more sickly. I'd been feeding her soft porridge and making sure she got a good amount of water but finally she couldn't even sit on her perch and didn't want to eat. Her time was up. I hate to do it but it's my job. I near as damnit pulled her head off but her foot kept twitching - It was very concerning although I presume it was just nerve endings. But in future I think I'd use the axe for an immobile, sickly chicken. I think it would be even quicker and I'd be sure I'd done it first time, the twitching plays on your mind.

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I need a new greenhouse as I've filled this one but Hubby won't sign my purchase order! Boo.

BTW, does anyone know what this flower is called below, I did know, but I've forgotten.(I think it comes out in May)... Thanks.

The tadders have started hatching, 4,000,000 hatched... 120,000,000 to go. I watch the newts, they swim like mini crocodiles, circling their prey. My very own safari.

It's the end of term on Friday, with more than three weeks off! Then, when the babies finally go back after Easter, there's an obstacle course of Bank Holidays and Royal Weddings to circumnavigate.... I'm not complaining, I just hope it's going to be sunny. #justsaying.....

Lou

xx