Sunbathing Chickens
Just heard a funny-sad-cute story from my mum, and thought you might appreciate it. As many of you will know, my mother lives on a small farm in the Far North of Northland (yes, those are district/region names) anyway, it’s a farm, but not really to farm anything for anyone else, just a little paddocks, orchard, gardens kinda thing with some little animals; 2 horses, some cows including one that gets eaten and replaced every year or so - in the natural kind of way, some ducks who come and go, and a chicken - run for eggs.
There used to also be sheep when I was small, only about 15, for wool, but they all got old and died, as did the old horse, Jean, and the old cow, Sunshine. Some of the chickens got old and died too, so they decided to get some new ones, and saw an ad in the local paper - the Northland Age - chickens for sale. Went to get some, and they are from a Battery Farm (which is quite ridiculous, since this is located in one of the most lush, fertile places you could hope to have a nice free-range farm) so they got 5 - they are only about a year old, have lost most of their feathers from stress, their wobbley-cocky things and little claws were all pale, and they couldn’t stand up, eat real food or walk up the little ramp to the henhouse to sleep at night!! Finally they are getting a hang of all this - tho they still eat grass instead of yummy scraps and veges since they’ve never ever eaten anything green before and dont know the difference, and some still have to be lifted into bed at night, but the cutest thing - during the day while the other chickens forage around and look for worms , the new chickens who are now growing their feathers back - lie down with their wings spread out and sunbathe! can you just imagine it?!
cute, eh? Am missing Tom, but have sooo much to do, haven’t had time to be too sad… better go, in fact. See you all soon,
xxx z
September 21st, 2004 at 4:26 pm
ahahaha… they sound very forlorn and cute “have to be lifted into bed at night” you’re funny. I saw some cute little ducklings today, their mum quacked a bit when I went near them. They were very fluffy.
September 22nd, 2004 at 1:31 pm
Seems to be a complete lack of testosterone in this website lately! What’s happened to all the bogans?
September 22nd, 2004 at 6:10 pm
it must be something in the water down there
September 22nd, 2004 at 8:48 pm
glad to hear minerva saved some poor battery chooks from their former hell! they must be so stoked to have such a great new home. a very cute story, thanks for sharing. xxx