The Cottage Smallholder


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New hens for Christmas

Photo: Wyandotte bantam hens

Photo: Wyandotte bantam hens

I woke late on Sunday and drifted back to sleep with the comforting warmth of the dogs at my feet. So it was after ten o’clock when I fumbled down to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and pick up my messages.

“Ring me at your earliest convenience.” The Chicken Lady sounded upbeat. She would have been up for hours so I dialled her number immediately.
“I’m in a tussle with these outdoor lights. What do you mean that you’ve just got up? We’ve got something to drop down to you. We’ll be there at one.”

Generous and thoughtful, The Chicken Lady could appear with virtually anything. Danny quickly tidied the kitchen and vacuumed downstairs.
“What do you think it might be?”
“If it was a fully decorated six foot Christmas tree, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

When their shiny Golf reversed into the drive, I shot out to welcome them. Inside the car TCL was sticking two silver bows onto the lid of a cardboard box. It was carried up the drive and gently placed on the kitchen table. TCL and S suggested that we corralled the Min Pins before we went into the garden.

Suddenly I realised that there was something alive inside the box. The Min Pins displayed more interest in the cardboard box than the delights of the sitting room. Finally they were locked away and we eased open the lid.

There were two young Wynadotte bantam chickens inside. Perfectly relaxed. My shriek of joy encouraged one to stretch her neck to observe us all. A thoughtful present of girlfriends for our young cockerel, Beatyl, who lost his step sister, Dixie Chick, after a few short weeks.

The hens were carried down to the chicken run and released without the usual furore and bullying from the residents. It‘s obviously happening now because they are keeping well away from the flock. The pecking order is a literal and inevitable ritual in chicken life. But there are two of them so they have companionship on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Dixie Chick was a Wynadote too and these sprightly young bantam hens are just a bit younger than she would have been. They are absolutely exquisite and deserve special names. Thank you TCL and S and Rollo.

So we are running a fun competition for the best names for these young ladies. Danny suggested Bombay and Sapphire (their chariot was an old Bombay Sapphire gin box). I’m sure that you can do better than this. And there is a small prize (not life changing) waiting in the wings for the most inventive and appealing monikers.


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26 Comments

  1. Fiona Nevile

    Hello Meli

    Thanks for your suggestions, they’re great!

    But we’ve already announced the winning names. Peace and Hope.

    I do hope that you have a peaceful 2009.

  2. i know i’m a bit late, but what about Miss table-cloth & Dot /dotty. Happy New Year.:D

  3. Danny Carey

    Such fantastic suggestions. Thanks to you all, especially those who came back for a second and third bite of the apple/drumstick.

    Fiona will decide on the winners, honourable mentions etc. on New Years Day so by all means keep them coming until then.

  4. You could really confuse things and call them Turkey and Goose? No? Oh well, never mind …

  5. I’m a very silly billy sorry I mis-typed my email address when I did the above! Correct now.

  6. What beautiful girls! I have four brown girls that I rescued from a battery farm (and I love the dearly) but am thinking of getting some proper pretty girls later this year. Since they were given out of friendship by TCL what about Amity and Felicity?

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