Bird dog and birds.

Imagine. You've been bustled indoors while something interesting goes on outside. You have your nose pressed to the door the better to draw in those outdoor aromas; pongs of this and whiffs of that and.....................bird!

Your patience is rewarded when one of your Beloved People lets you out. With a leap and a bound you are on the case; no point in dithering. If you thought the words 'cartoon dog' were mentioned you would have heard correctly. You were bloody right too! There are birds! Let's get at 'em.

Sorry Chester, you and those chickens must stay on separate sides of the pen. No amount of text-book 'pointing' on your part will make me change my mind. I know they would be a tasty snack. Soft-centres too. You are a Pointer. Stick to pointing.

These are the chickens at just over two weeks old. How quickly they grow. They will need to be moved on from their 'tub' in the garage soon. Today was warm enough to bring them outside and let them see the outside world for the first time. I put them on the lawn in the dog crate, in the sun but with some dappled shade to retreat to. Quite an overwhelming experience for them I think. Sensory overload after a fortnight in a black tub under a warm red light. If they'd been under a broody hen she would have had them outdoors already, teaching them to peck and scratch. I am a poor substitute.

Their feathers are coming through and they are looking gawky. I wonder how many cockerels there are - it is a little too soon to tell from their appearance. One might expect 50:50, but with 13 birds that's never going to work out. Sod's law tells me that because I want hens there will be a predominance of males.

If you would like a cockerel in due course - please do speak up. They make excellent alarm clocks.