Wednesday 18 April 2012

Sitting in (the) shock of the fey...

...you see, it's 04:22 18th April 2012 and I don't know why I can't sleep again. I'm downloading some pictures from the camera as I sit here all fey like* (see below definitions, I plump for "appearing to be under a spell" or "whimsical; strange - oh yes, rather!; otherworldly"). Problem is, I forgot Finlay took loads of videos up at the zoo (Whipsnade) at the weekend, so it's taking forever.


Actually, there is a rather fascinating little video taken by Alison of one of our hens, Tilly. On Saturday morning when I went down to feed them I could have sworn that I heard a very distinct, "Cock-a-doodle-doo", but thought, "Nah! Don't be stupid..." On Sunday, Alison heard it too, four times. We still thought it was highly unlikely that Happy Chicks could possibly have supplied us with a Billy instead of a Tilly (Tilly with a willy?). Anyway, sure enough, she/he has kept on with the the classic call and is getting better and better at it.


We wrote to them to say, "What the..._ we said. "Send evidence," they replied. Here's the evidence (also, they are all supposed to White Stars, a very mild tempered bird, apparently). Please note Tilly/Billy's upright tail and undoubted wattly bit under his/her chin:


This is Clarrie, the older bird, very feisty!

Tallulah on left, Tilly/Billy right - note the colour of he legs too.
Clarrie and Tallulah have yellow legs, Tilly/Billy has pale pink.

Now then, here is the incontrovertible truth:






Elementary my dear friends. Thing is, if we give him back they'll croke him, if we keep him we'll have fertilised eggs. A dilemma. The only thing to do is to separate them, poor Billy, and give the fella a run of his own, which will mean knocking down a shed.


Oh the trials and tribulations of animal husbandry.


Suffice to say all the above will be winging (pun intended) their way to the pillocks at Happy Chicks - Happy Chicks, my big fat hairy one!


And finally, COME ON YOU BLUES (Barca at home first leg of Champions League Semi...)


Happy Roostering...




*

fey


adjective
1.
British Dialect doomed; fated to die.
2.
Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil.
3.
supernatural; unreal; enchanted: elves, fairies, and other fey creatures.
4.
being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death.
5.
whimsical; strange; otherworldly: a strange child with amysterious smile and a fey manner.