It's Time for some new Chickens... Yippee!

Our original girls were down to just two, Auntie Mabel and Auntie Marjorie-Jess.  Yes you've got it, we are not a hundred percent which she is, so she now has joined the prestigious double barrelled group. We decided to wait until spring, when the weather was reasonable and also when Greyhound man's dogs were not lurking.  Grehound Man works on some of the land around us and is named as he has greyhounds... you would never have guessed!  He's not our favourite person.  He leaves his dogs in the house that he uses when he's here for a few days at a time, and we know for a fact he doesn't come back and feed them every day.  To be honest if his dogs are hungry and they come looking for chickens what can we say, nothing, the poor dogs. So we hadn't see GM for a while so we thought we would do a chicken shopping trip.

Auntie Marjorie-Jess and Auntie Mabel, before their new play mates arrived

We went to the same place in Cordoba we bought our last ones from. Well when we eventually found it again. We arrived about 20 minutes before siesta, struggled to find somewhere to park the car as two dogs were sprawled across the allocated parking area. We expected to look at a 'menu' as previously, but no this time we were allowed to follow the two young men and see for ourselves.  We explained that we lived in the campo and wanted the chickens just for eggs, we wouldn't be eating them.  We 'Ooohed and ahhhed' over some pretty ones but were put firmly in our places and told we need strong campo chickens, that would be hardy.  True of course.  There was also a gorgeous little Silkie but it was a male, and we really just want females, so he was out of the equation too.  A pure white  egg was shown to us, proving some of the chickens were already laying.  That didn't matter to us, we knew it would take them a few weeks to settle in their new home before laying again.

We chose our new girls, two of each, white, brown and black, and watched whilst they were unceremoniously hauled out of their cages, and shoved into a big box.  It always looks so undignified but I'm sure upside down is maybe the way it should be done.

A hour back home in the car, and we took them straight round to there newly cleaned out chicken room. Even the boys knew something was going on!

For a few mornings we kept the new girls in, Alan would pop round and manage to let Auntie Mabel and Auntie Marjorie-Jess out, to give them some peace from these new youngsters.  Luckily they all seemed to get along just great, with no squabbles that we were aware of.  A few days later we opened the rustic old doors and let them feel the fresh air on the faces and be free for the very first time.  Wonderful!