Here come the girls........

Well, well well.... We got our hens and a swift lesson in “Just 'cause you haven't seen a chook jump 6 foot before, doesn't mean they can't!”

After a lot of faffing about it became apparent that we were getting nowhere with the rescue hen situation so found a local poultry farm and went to visit... well, I say visit but we amazingly had the cage in the back of the car! Not sure HOW that got there!! **innocent grin**

They had a huge field with about 150 chooks of all different shapes and sizes and some fab cockerels... one of which goose stepped around the paddock in a very majestic manor... if only we lived somewhere else. I would SO have him!!

In my head I planned on getting four girls of the same colouring/breed but once we got there my 16 yr old daughter fell in love with a white and black flecked chook at the same time I saw a big fat beefy looking brown hybrid, now named Beef. So instantly the colour coordination plan had failed!

We then spotted a dainty black hen who's feathers shimmered bluey-green as she pecked around the paddock, my daughter instantly named her Emo!!. Then last of all a fabtastical black and silver pebble effect chook caught our eye.

So our new family was quickly despatched into the cage, into the car and into our lives!

Robert [who wasn't excited at all!] was nervously pacing outside the house as we arrived with the girls... queue a big grin that almost split his face in two as he spotted us pulling up. We took the cage round to the chookery and opened the door against the chookery door.

I sat on the ground inside and sprinkled some corn on the floor. The girls bocked quietly to each other and all 8 of us waited for the bravest one to venture out.

The white hen [still unnamed] gingerly stepped out and started to peck at the corn... “oohhh, mmmm,” it sounded like she was clucking. Next was Emo who had a look sideways at the corn, noticed it was disappearing fast down the white hens throat so plopped out beside her shortly followed by Beef and then at last the pebble coloured chook.

They all pecked around me gingerly but making appreciative noises over the corn.

Suddenly Beef made a rumbling noise, then Emo joined in and all of a sudden all four girls were bubbling at each other “Predator! Predator!” I looked up the garden path and saw my Maine Coone cat Each Peach Plum 'n' Pear stalking up to the chookery.... “you're ok girls” I said.... Emo came right up to me and bock-bock-bocked at me in a “If you're the cock round here SAVE US!” she then totally lost her composure and shot through the kitchen window into the lap of my 16 yr old daughter. At that point the pebble hen amazingly went from standing on the ground to being perched 6 foot on the edge of the chookery fence!!!

I stood up with my mouth hanging like sporran round my throat in total amazement!! “BOCK BOCK” she screamed which kicked me back into reality and I scooped her back off into the chookery while my son shooed Peaches away.

Then began a frantic staple-gunning of netting around the perimeter! I will be buying netting for the whole roof today!! Sheesh!!!

So... from that magical transportation she gained the name Rocket! Tis just the white hen we need to name now and apart from the obvious names, snowy, milky, Blanc... etc etc nothing fits her.

I'm sure she will reveal her name to us in due course!

Rocket seems to be the more vocal of the girls. The slightest movement and she is off clucking at the others to BEWARE BEWARE!

My son woke up at 07:15 to find me having my morning tea in the chookery and with a big grin asked, “Cor! Did you find any eggs yet?” lol ..... soon Torin... soon.