Lying in bed early this morning, I had already formulated a somewhat lively blog discussion about " email etiquette" in my head, before I had even put a dirty foot into a grubby croc shoe.
But subsequent events have put paid to all of that interesting banter.
Another one of the refugees was killed and eaten by badgers overnight. A small and pretty Araucana " forgot" to make it back to her hen house before dusk and had roosted herself away in thick undergrowth .
I have noticed that this occasionally happens with hens that are not used to free range greenery....no matter how much you try to " imprint " them on their home coop, they seem slightly overwhelmed with the total freedom of the great outdoors and wander off like Jenny Agutter did in Walkabout.
Two casualties out of 33 hens is not a bad loss rate given the way the refugees suddenly appeared
Unfortunately the little araucana had a newly hatched single chick with her and of course there was no sign of it when I scoured the bushes and nettles by the pond, the exit point for the badger run.
But I was sure I heard a faint " peep peep" of a distressed chick somewhere about., though I could not be totally sure.
I was not the only one who heard something
For out of a far coop, a fat broody and over motherly Buff Orpington called Sorrel lumbered over clucking loudly to herself .
She waddled past me and pushed her way into a patch of nettles only to reappear seconds later with the lost araucana chick in tow.
If I had not seen it with my own eyes , I would never of believed it.
Foster mum and chick are now set up in their own house safe and sound.
A heartwarming little tale
