Chickens

My mother had a job as a reporter for a farming magazine when she left school This would be in Bournmouth where she and her family were escaping the London bombs.
She researched and wrote an article about keeping hens, which I guess was pretty important during the times of real austerity.

My father kept hens in Murupara and Waipa and Rotorua all his life. We have kept hens in St Mary's Bay and Ponsonby and Matakana. I am fascinated by them.

We now have a flock of eleven hens and two roosters, some old- at least five years and five chicks (Not part of the flock yet.) At the moment they are loving the quinces David discarded in the compost heap - still with residues of alcohol- from his ratafia making.

One of the hens is broody in the hen house which is causing a bit of conflict, and some others are broody in secret places on the property. Because of the rats stoats pukekos and hawks I bring the broody hens into a small pen and then move the mother and chicks to a bigger one- which David spent yesterday resurrecting.

The broody chicken got into the pen and was flying around agitatedly and ended up attacking another hen- and the rooster intervened. The unfortunate hen in the middle was pecked behind the ear and ended up shaking her head and going around in circles- lost her balance in her inner ear. I took her to the vet, Ross Lynch, who is a bird rescuer; he said he had seen the same syndrome in tuis. He gave her antibiotics steroids and some glucose by injection and bought her home and put her in the small pen. She doesn't seem to be able to peck or drink because she can't get her head in the right direction. I'll try and feed her through a tube today.

When we came home last night I found that she hadn't made her way back into shelter and so I lifted her in and thought i saw an egg glowing in the dark.

This morning I investigated further. It was luminous because it doesn't have a shell. I bought it inside- it's the most amazing gelatinous little gem.

Sadly I don't think my hundred dollar hen is going to survive this episode, but I had to do my best to help her when she is such a lovely little beast and seems to accept taccept her fate so resignedly- I can't really say she is placid though when I pick her up!

So joy and sadness- the mother hen hatched nine chicks and only five survived- animals and children are such hostages to fortune- but they bring so much joy!

W went to dinner at The Grove last night to celebrate my recent birthday and my return to good health - Luke and David andme. It was awesome- and awe inspiring- I would like to only ever eat food cooked by Ben Bayly-- lucky Cara!