Spartacus and cauliflower overload
I am a sucker for an underdog. The stocky, deformed and most silent of the battery hens has just about won me over. I was resolved not to name any of these hens as they are earmarked for eating but this little chap, who has the look of John Mills in Ryan's Daughter , has been dealt so many bum deals at such an early age, I feel that it is only right that I give him a little bit of freedom!.......so it felt only right that he/she is called SPARTACUS
Anyhow enough of me being an overly soft puddin. I am working tonight, a shitty night to work but a computerised rota system has suddenly been introduced at work which starts the week on a Sunday not a Monday.........the long and short of all this..means that staff are working more weekends.........Chris will lock up the animals tonight but wont watch over the field I would do, With the last sighting of the fox over two weeks ago now, I hope things will be ok tonight.
My first major crop of cauliflower is ready. We have blanched and frozen a load, and tomorrow I will make soup to freeze. The slog of harvesting has started
I am a sucker for an underdog. The stocky, deformed and most silent of the battery hens has just about won me over. I was resolved not to name any of these hens as they are earmarked for eating but this little chap, who has the look of John Mills in Ryan's Daughter , has been dealt so many bum deals at such an early age, I feel that it is only right that I give him a little bit of freedom!.......so it felt only right that he/she is called SPARTACUS
Anyhow enough of me being an overly soft puddin. I am working tonight, a shitty night to work but a computerised rota system has suddenly been introduced at work which starts the week on a Sunday not a Monday.........the long and short of all this..means that staff are working more weekends.........Chris will lock up the animals tonight but wont watch over the field I would do, With the last sighting of the fox over two weeks ago now, I hope things will be ok tonight.
My first major crop of cauliflower is ready. We have blanched and frozen a load, and tomorrow I will make soup to freeze. The slog of harvesting has started
no problem in my books with being an overly soft puddin, and yes, he IS Spartacus!
ReplyDeleteHave a good week
x
My cabbages have gone mad & I'm not sure what to do with them - may sell them as don't fee like cabbage in this heat.
ReplyDeleteLoving my lettuce though.
I think he /she should be called Gloria - Gloria Gaynor " I will survive ! "
I'm a sucker for the underdog, myself, but I would probably not eat any of them. I like my meat in neat little packages, that way nothing is really identifiable as say, a chicken or a pig, or a cow. I believe I should be a vegetarian...
ReplyDeleteMy, that cauliflower does look good!
I hope all goes well tonight and Mr Fox has decided not to even try anything at your place!
Hope the fox stays away.
ReplyDeleteWay to go for the underdogs, I am a sucker for them myself.
Cauliflower-yummy....my absolute favourite, raw or cooked...hmmmmm.
The cauliflower is as pretty as a flower arrangement.
ReplyDeleteWell you know I'm an overly soft puddin too. I take my hat of to you if you can eat them after giving them lots of TLC, I'd find that really hard.
ReplyDeletexx
I'm interested to see how your rehab venture works. There is something about commercial birds - both the ones raised for meat and the ones for eggs - that is different. I raised 6 laying pullets from the day-old stage once, in the same conditions I raise all my chicks, spoiling them rotten in a brooder in the dining room. They never developed distinct personalities, they always traveled as a little group, as if they were in a small invisible cage. One of my 4-H kids raised Cornish cross meat birds for fair once. He didn't win anything with them, took them home and turned them loose on his goat farm. I thought they'd surely perish, but most of them lived for years. They were huge big bruisers and not very active.
ReplyDeleteI also have a baby with a deformed beak right now. It was evidently injured when two others were killed by a raccoon. I'm keeping the beak trimmed short so it can eat, and it seems to be doing OK, but at least once a week I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Another baby from this group is blind. I've been keeping him with two buddies and he also seems to be doing fine. Sigh. I love having animals, but I just don't have what it really takes to be a farmer.
Yes, these are the guys that need a helping hand. And you are the guy for it, John.
ReplyDeleteHarvest already?! Is there any justice at all!!!!
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteYour Ghost Hens have inspired my latest blog post at The Daily Chicken http://thechickendaily.blogspot.com/2010/07/plight-of-commercial-free-range-hens.html
If you get the time please pop over and take a look.
(Getting fed up with cauli's here ourselves)
Spartacus MUST live!! :)
ReplyDeletesoft puddins unite!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, have you ever had roasted cauliflower? It is to die for. I drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and cracked peppercorns and cook it quickly at about 400 degrees-only for about 25 minutes or so. It is totally delicious.
Also, we like cauliflower mash-make it like i do mashed potatoes. Yum.