After three and a half years of moving the chickens around the farmyard, we may have finally found the best place for them. We first had the romantic notion that they should roam free (still shutting them away at night of course). Part of that idea was great – it meant that we had the rooster – surrounded by various ladies – showing up at our kitchen window at 7am on the dot each morning to say hello as we were making our coffee. We knew them all and we really enjoyed them. But between the fox look for food to give her young and some not so chicken-friendly dogs passing by on the footpath, we lost hen after hen and occasionally the rooster as well. We went through about 2 dozen hens and three roosters before deciding that it was cruel to continue in this way.
Then we moved them to an old abandoned chicken run just behind the farmyard. They were safe there – and boy did the hens produce a LOT of eggs – but we never saw them. We had no relationship with them whatsoever. Besides the pleasure of having fresh eggs, it was if we didn’t even have chickens anymore. And that felt sad to us.
The other day, I came home from a trip to find that Christopher had moved the chickens to the old stable yard outside his painting studio, right across from our cottage. He built a wire fence on top of the wooden gate to keep the foxes out and set up two little houses in which they could sleep and the hens could lay their eggs. I now see the chickens every time I go in that yard to access my storage, visit Christopher in his studio, or dump a bag in the trash bins. It’s not the same as having them outside my kitchen window, but I can see them from my bedroom window. And I am happy that they are safe. Fingers crossed.
We love our two ladies. They are running free during the day and happily return to their small chicken run and hut when darkness falls. But boy – it’s a shitty business – droppings ALL over the terrasse. And just like yours they love tapping at our kitchen door – hoping to get into to the warmth and cosiness of the kitchen. So far we have managed to keep them out – but come summer. I’m sure will find them under the kitchen table.
Amanda, about Jake, Coco’s horse, wouldn’t it be great if you could keep it? Just out of love and compassion. I’m sure he’s just as attached to Coco as she to him. He’ll suffer with the separation…
Hi Nena. Of course the temptation is there – we’d love nothing more than to keep Jake, selfishly speaking. But he’s young and he has a whole other chapter – maybe even multiple chapters – of life ahead of him. Coco grew out of him physically nearly a year ago, but we kept him as long as possible because they were such a great team. If he stayed at home with us, he would barely be ridden and that would be the worst possible thing for him. He is a great horse who needs to be challenged and kept focused. The most humane thing here is to find him a wonderful 5* home with a rider like Coco who will dedicate the required time to him and make him keep reaching for greater heights. On our farm, we have a family policy that if a horse is past twenty, they get lifetime tenancy with us, whether we have a use for them or not. They have earned their right to be settled and to be occasionally ridden or even just have a life of leisure. But Jake is nowhere near that point and to retire him early just so that we could keep him around would simply be cruel. But I feel your heartbreak. I’ve been in tears for three days mourning his departure!
Amanda — Always so enjoy your posts, be it about fashion or farm life or travels, your words and images always add just the perfect amount of sparkle to my day. Thank you.
Oh how I love chickens. Wonderful you found a spot for them! I wish I could keep them in my garden. They are darling:)