The Hen Circus

[Jongleur]

Hi Jongleuse here, with another Tale from the Henhouse (especially for Gay and Di)

For those of you who know us (in the web sense that is), we still have our hens, but have to say they are not as well, as young or as well feathered as they used to be.  We no longer have the Hen Orchestra much these days, as not many of the dears are laying for one reason or another, so it is just the odd song heard from the henhouse.  Still for entertainment in the henhouse we now have the Hen Circus!

As you may remember, Onion (the white hen) had a sore foot - she is now permanently hobbling, but seems OK.  Her mate Snowy (of the lost voice, which has never completely recovered) now suffers from the same complaint - Bumblefoot I think!! So, as the majority of our hens now roost, each evening sees Snowy and Onion scrabbling up the ladder to the perches.  However, getting down again in the morning is another matter!!  Jongleur, harsh man that he is, refuses to put more steps in to facilitate things, so it has been left up to me to find a solution.

Most of my good ideas come to me whilst cleaning out the henhouse - such fertile ground for ideas I find!!  There was Onion walking soulfully up and down the top two perches and not being able to summon up courage to descend one way or another.  I am on the small side, so fit beneath these perches - makes cleaning a little worrying, with a hen pacing above you!!  However, that means I cannot reach up and get her down to the floor.  Then, it came to me whilst fending off Paxo, the nosey red hen with a lust for toes (preferably bare ones!), with my spade and broom whilst trying to prevent her from foraging for maggots in my bucket.    The idea was born!!

It has taken me a few days of practice as sometimes Onion is not willing (tempremental these star hens!) or I haven't got to the henhouse that day - youngest is on egg collection duty now.  Part of our Circus act involves me holding a thick handled broom along the length of the top perches, but a few inches lower.  By banging on the perch, Onion is encouraged to delicately put one claw on the broom handle, wings akimbo for balance, swiftly followed by the other one.  (I am sure clapping would have the same effect, but can't let go of the broom handle you understand!!)  I then gently lower the broom handle to the ground so Onion can hop off by herself.

I have to say the theory was better than the practice, but we are getting there!!  At first, Onion seemed to think she was supposed to fly off - difficult to do when your flight feathers are moulting!  Then she thought she was supposed to cling on so tight with her claws wrapped around the broom handle, she was in danger of hanging upside down - not a pretty sight there either!!  Eventually she got the drift and now sits quite happily on the handle with the odd shuffle up and down.

I can see us now in a few weeks being the mobile Hen Circus!!  Onion and possibily Snowy, doing the highwire and trapeze act.  We are practising with Parsley and Pidgin on the "Now you see it, now you don't" vanishing egg trick.  When they want to avoid being disturbed, they shove eggs under their wings and squawk loudly until you go away.  Paxo, Sage and Abricot, are very good at getting through the smallest of spaces and vanishing quickly, so I am sure we can find an appropriate act for them.  All I want now is a Ringmaster!!

Auditions are being done this month, so if any of you have hens that could be stars, this is your opportunity - yours sound likely candidates Di?  Ringmasters can apply by email, but need a top hat!!     

Regards

Jongleuse

[Iceni]

Yup, I think I have a budding star, she is a cute little brown madam who has this trick of waiting till I bend over to do something and then she 'runs' up my back onto my shoulder.  John has offered the 'wooden leg' as a present for Christmas as I think he feels I could increase my earnings by appearing in panto as Short Joan Silver.

This hen also flies onto my hand as I walk in to change the water or feed them.  I give them some pellets at the end of the run so I can get into the main run to do my bit BUT she has this sussed out now and creeps up and is ready and waiting to land on my hand and eat anything in it including my fingers.

They all have good eyesight as they look out for me and if I am seen in the distance they do the 'dance of the starving hens' until I have gone in or fed them.  John, who also checks on them never gets this treatment and he is the one who always throws nice fresh greenstuff into them each day.

Now who has the top had and where can I get a good hook and wooden leg????

[Catalpa]

[quote]Hi Jongleuse here, with another Tale from the Henhouse (especially for Gay and Di) For those of you who know us (in the web sense that is), we still have our hens, but have to say they are not as wel...[/quote]

... and for me!

Love "Tales from the Hen House", thank you for this. It's duly printed out to hand to TOH on his return from "The Other Side".

(and that would be England, not Total France!)

Carole