Introducing, Karin - escapee hen extraordinaire

Karin, escapee hen extraodiniare!

Hurray! We've water again, but I think I'm in an animal  based conspirsay today. I woke up to a glorious morning - opened the house door to find a chicken waiting for me - to be precise she ran towards me (clearly wanting food) and then seemed a bit perplexed when I caught her. One day she may figure out if she runs away she'll stay out for longer - never mind. Eventually she went back with her pals - under my arm, but we went into the house first and got the food - I'm always taking her on a tour of the house - I'm sure she only escapes to get a bit of a tour inside! We've called this hen KARIN - her namesake is a good friend of ours from Germany who was our lodger for a year, she was a very adventurous girl - always off having adventures - so the perfect name for this adventurous hen!

A few of the girls wating for their food - Karin at the far left - back in her home!

They were happy enough when they all got back together - and I found 6 eggs when I cleaned them out and gave them fresh straw - I didn't have the bowl with me for the eggs so I placed them on grass just outside the hen enclosure. The next minute I looked around - only 3 eggs! What on earth was going on? Well, as I saw the dog (Peedie pup) running up the track I had my suspicions - he got previous for egg napping. He's always sloping off with eggs, socks, other dogs tennis balls when we're on the beach - anything he can get in his little snozzle!

Peedie the egg-napper!

Well, although I was laughing, it took me 15 minutes to find where the eggs were, one up the drive, one by the gravel track and one by the new veggie garden - where peedie had begun to dig a little hole - maybe to bury it? None of the eggs were broken, just very carefully taken away one by one - the little monkey!!!

Eggs ready for my friend - helps us pay for our hen food - making our eggs free!

At least I got them all back and managed to get them cleaned up - my friend bought 1 doz of them today - for £2 - which is great - helps pay for the hen food and makes our eggs free at home. I love having hens - they are real characters and they teach the kids about food and where it comes from - as far as pets go I think they are great and very productive - they eat the scraps and give you lovely eggs. There is nothing nicer, nor more bright than a lovely home-grown egg. I sell mine for £1 for a half dozen - gives me enough for the hen food - and is still a bargain for the friends that want their 'happy hen eggs'.

My favourite - boiled egg and soldiers - YUM!

Anyway, after those adventures you'll never believe why we've had no water since Wednesday....................not peedie or the hens to blame - but cows! We've cows in our field by the house - they went into their winter shed early last week - in Orkney - the fields get too wet for the cows to stay on them over the winter - and the weather is so bad that even if they stayed out - the would lose too much condition outside - so in late autumn here all the cows vanish - its like cow-napping - but in reality they go into lovely warm, dry sheds to be looked after over the winter. Like a holiday I suppose - where they get to be dry and warm.

Anyway because the cows were taken out of the field - the farmer turned the water off - by the look of it (I was told) the cows had slightly knocked the pipe to our house and then when the farmer switched off the water - ours went off too! Naughty pesky cows - little monsters, wee rascals - I think they were playing pranks on us today. The field is a bit empty without them - but they'll be back next May. Despite their antics with my water, I'll miss them alot!!! My lucky yellow wellies have had a good workout today - looking for eggs  putting hens back and walking up the track to talk to the farmer - all before I got any gardening done today!

My yellow steel toe cap wellies - essential hen/egg/water finding equipment.