Chickens can be so horrible

Posted by Rosie

I'm writing this waiting for friends from the UK to arrive - hopefully they will not get lost with the déviation (diversion) around the next village which I completely forgot to tell them about until I had to go round it earlier today.

Anyway - back to the subject - chickens. Due to the ongoing Fosse Septique works we have had to move the fattening white chicks in with the laying hens and ducks. All was quiet to begin with and then I noticed Fluffy Chick having a right go at one of the white chicks, so much so that she had a bloody comb and was lame. This continued and then a couple of the white chicks moved in on the poor thing such that she was cowering in the corner and now VERY lame. So I have had to move her to separate quarters to recover. Tomorrow I shall put her in a safe pen inside the hen field so the meanies can see but not hurt her and hopefully they'll get used to her. I know pecking orders are normal for hens but so far we have seen very little of this and certainly not to this degree.

But on a happier note we have more ducks - 13 ducklings and Mum to be precise, from friends who have an excess of ducks. I am pleased to say they have settled in very well and I'll try and post up some pictures tomorrow.

Oh dear - I've just had a phone call from my friends and they have spent the last hour heading in the wrong direction out of Le Harvre. Ooops!!