Last night after I had locked all of the birds up for the night, I was walking back to the cottage in the dark and spied Stanley, my white rooster running around in frightened circles under the street light way down the lane.
This threw me as the old rooster never leaves his enclosure, so I opened the field gate and called to him and he galloped over. Now all this was not interesting save for the fact that it turned out not to be Stanley! Standing in front of me was a young, buxom new cockerel. I reached down and picked the stranger up and squeezed him into my last remaining broody box for the night.
This morning I have walked around to two local houses (that have a few hens in their back gardens) and have left notes asking if the cockerel is theirs, but so far I have not had a reply....The only other explanation is a sad one.....for I am unhappy to think that on Boxing day of all days (by the way do you Americans reading HAVE Boxing day?),did a hen keeper sneak out from home to dump a spare cockerel in the road next to my field, in the hope I would adopt him?
Of course I cannot keep him, despite him being a handsome fellow...if he is not claimed in a few days I am sure the animal sanctuary in Greenfield will accept him in their new hen run. If I did keep him ( and I am not!) I would have called him Jesus!!!!
As Chris has been reclining, I have been busy cleaning coops and catching up with field jobs. As I took the dogs for their walk around the village, I noticed that the whole set of pensioner bungalows off High Street have had solar water heating panels erected on their roofs. I think it is a fascinating and forward thinking initiative by Flintshire Council to invest in such technology, and cost reductions to a significant proportion of the village population, is, I am sure, much welcomed.I must say I was impressed!
Tonight, I am tired.... and will veg out in front of Cranford later
I know whereof you speak. I try not to advertise the fact that most of my animals are rescues. Not because I am ashamed of this, (just the opposite), but once people find out that I 'take unwanted animals', people just show up expecting me to take all comers, forgetting that care and space are concerns, and I can't really even care for some types. We have certainly had enough kitties show up, even though... Sigh...
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Festive greetings John! What handsome fellow 'Jesus'is, such a shame he has been abandonned. I hope he finds nice home through the sanctuary (if he gets that far, I think you would really like to keep him underneath it all!). Sounds like your world of critters is as busy as ever ;-) If I don't 'speak' to you before have a very Happy New Year lovely man. With love n hugs, Sara xx
ReplyDeletewe do not have Boxing Day in the US, in Canada they do.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd say somebody dumped the cockerel, on Christmas holiday yet. He is pretty but I know you can only have so many roosters.
You shouldn't "re-gift" a gift that you were meant to have, especially on Christmas! Keep the handsome boy!! That's what I'd do! Of course I can say that because I've never found or been given a chicken before! :-)
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ReplyDeleteI would love too, but kim I have 7 cockerels already and too many males causes havoc with hens.....
hey ho
No Boxing Day in California. No "Throw the Cockerel Over Someone Else's Fence" Day either. I hope.
ReplyDeletewould be interested in knowing what you left as a note - "is your cock missing?" or is that only funny in Canadian, maybe a little too cheeky - peace
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