Monday, February 02, 2009

Squawk!

Oooo er. There was great consternation in the hen house-on-wheels this morning; the world was white. For a simple minded hen this was a lot to take in. Imagine it. Go to bed: green. Wake up, throw open the curtains (or in the case of poultry - pop-hole): white. Cluck cluck indeed....

There was much anxious clucking and inclining of quizzical combed heads until the bravest hopped out to investigate - or as I suspect - was pushed out by the mardy cockerel. The refugees from across the border followed; they're a spunky pragmatic bunch and up for taking on the world, white weathered, brown feathered or otherwise.

The others - the poncey 'breeds', the Marans and Legbars - have spent the day not quite getting to grips with snow and huddled in a miserable bunch at the doorway. They bucked up a bit when I took them the remains of yesterday's 'Dauphinoise' potatoes but then took themselves sulkily to bed where they squabbled, pushed and shoved each other for pole position on the perch. (The refugees from across the border, incidently, having made the smaller house their own had roosted in line quite amicably and were crooning to one another - old and comforting folk tales from the homeland no doubt.)
Me? Well, I've had my vest tucked in and worn my hood up over the best gardening hat and it's still been damned cold. The wind has roared in from the east full of gritty snow but nothing serious. We're white over but only enough, as I hint above, to worry a hen. A couple of centimetres perhaps? Come on - I need more. I've urged it on - I fancy drifts and fairytale landscapes - I've lit the fire, got candles, scarves, vest and gloves - a full larder too. I feel it's going to pass us by. I feel prepared. Winter where are you?

12 comments:

Eliane said...

My Marans are wimps too. They spent all day in the house yesterday, sulking. The others (Black Rocks and Light Sussexes) were all over the place scratching away. Might be a bit harder today as we've had more snow over night.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

We have about six or seven inches today mountainear, and drifting quite spectacularly too. Definitely snowed in if only for a day or two. That is fine by me! hope you are snowed and snug over there.

Maggie Christie said...

Snowed in here too. Our chickens are complete and utter wimps. I can here the cockerel crowing, but he's still in bed! I love the picture of your pretty hens in the snow.

Mopsa said...

It's here! Inches of luscious stuff, wind-whipped cheeks and fed up sheep. Can hardly see the Aylesbury's.

Claire said...

Our snow came in the night and as I write this more is falling. I am wearing an icelandic jumper,gloves and a woolly hat to save on the heating oh and it is my bit towards saving the planet today. We are having a woodstove fitted on Thursday, bad timing or what?! There is about 8 centimetres.

Fennie said...

Oh poor chickens! I wss just reflecting the other day that animals took snow in the stride, but I did forget hens - the only animals that don't - and huddle and fluff their feathers and let out mournful contemplative squawks as if the white stuff was all to do with an over reliance on greedy bankers and we had only ourselves to blame. Paaaaa-Pukkkk.

Cait O'Connor said...

Winter has arrived, yes? And I love it, as long as we have plenty of supplies and fuel.
Hope the chickens are snug too.

Pam said...

I love the term "mardy". You should sing "Mardy Bum" by the Arctic Monkeys to your rooster each morning!
Loved the pictures.

snailbeachshepherdess said...

lovely to hear the girls are happy over the border - those that zipped down into deepest Herefordshire are also laying very happily.That rooster is being typically male - hang on a mo - has rooster mark 2 departed?

snailbeachshepherdess said...

N has just read 'old and comforting folk tales from over the border' and fallen about wondering what they were!

mountainear said...

SBS - if you don't know, then who does? Perhaps you could write some. Go on - you know you want to!

Confessions of a Temporal Lobe said...

Chickens crack me the hell up. I have not trusted them since one beat me at tic-tac-toe back in 1971 at the local carnival.