Wednesday 12 October 2011

Headline shouts: Chickens eat bonios

With a yawn and a stretch and a coffee in hand the chookies get fed, this is a cold clear autumnal morning in Orkney. You can tell its autumn not winter the vesitages of leaves are clinging to trees, burnt to a crisp! I give the chooks a nice hot brekkie of free grain from work, cooked over night in the slow cooker to plump int up and warm their tummies. This is given with scraps, today it was a bit of bread. I then have a quick chat with the gals and Einstien the cockeral, ours is a very intellectual household (!). Then or shortly after this time, Lord Peedie (the mutt of the manor) deems to get up and grace us with his presence.

I'm often asked, although never this early if dogs and chickens mix very well. In our household they appear to, the dog isn't fussed by the chickens, he's more interested in their grub than them....... As you can see he will go and tip his hat good morning to Einstien himself and then go about his business. Dogs are curious creatures, watering everything in their wake. He prowls the homestead, just to keep us safe you understand - from what I'm not sure........ off he pops around the corner of the chookie enclosure to check the perimeter fenceline...... ours is a very diligent hound. He takes this keeping us safe lark seriously.
Mornings here involve the 'school run' up to the corner, one mile from the house, to drop the cellist at her bus. Her school is slightly further away than her brother (who gets picked up at the top of our track), so each morning we take her the 1 mile, she walks home, unless its a force 8 with sideways rain.  The bus is visible in the centre of the picture - meandering towards us, 8 am on the dot.......
As we sit we say hello to the cows (in the summer) and bid them good day. On a day like today it appeared to be too unkind not to stop a while and chat, even take a photo - a bonnie start to the day. Often we only tip our head to the land from the window, as the wind and rain go wooshing past. Today life is calm!
The baling is going well, and soon the fields will be cleared. On a day like today - where else in the world would you be? Its breathtaking.
This quick dash happens every morning, 7.55-8am finds us here - chatting and thinking about the day ahead. Then cellist safely on the bus, we head back home to get on with the tasks before we go to work. Chickens fed, washing on its time for brekkie and another cuppa. Now what was I saying, dogs and chickens, thankfully my dog doesn't bother the chickens, not one bit.  Chicken and dog in perfect harmony. Oh, dear did I speak too soon, given the badly behaved mischeivous mutt.

HMMMMMMMMMMM - I give you exhibit A m'lord. Dog surveying the homestead I told you, HMMM instead insert the phrase 'Dog casing the joint'  keep this in your head when you look at the next few pictures. He looks innocent enough doesn't he? put the black cap on. He's as guilty as charged.
With a bit of yibbing and yabbering outside, we looked for the puppy, the canine who surveys our land and keeps us all safe. When we open the door what do we find? I fine canine friend keeping us all secure. HMMMMM I think not. A puppy full of bread it would seem - the crime scene - previous picture, hens eating bread, 10 minutes later - hen coop absent of bread and a very very round and happy puppy. Who appears to have dug himself into the chickens, was he lonely? Did he want a chat with Einstien? Um, no. It appears despite a lovely full dish of food - he prefers chicken food and scraps. He guarded the bread in his tummy.........

 Below the crime scene investigated - Peedie sized hole in the fence - lovingly excavated for me.......
Looks quite happy with himself doesn't he? Bit like a dog that ate all the bread eh? The chickens and dog in perfect harmony? I think Einstien would rather the chat they had was a bit less up close and personal.
Oblivious of the outraged but unharmed chickens, Peedie pup is very pleased with the excellent bread clean up job he's done this morning. He's beaming, very happy, how clever am I he's smiling. Job well done. Efficent, quick and just time to pop out of the chickens in time for a second breakfast. Guilty as charged. On being let out of the hen coop - peedie bounded over very happy to have been of service. HMMMMMMMMM. What can a girl do, chickens utterly unharmed, bread perfectly hoovered up by a canine warrior.
Later in the day Einstien and I had a little chat, to find a punishment which fitted the canine crime. He assured me as I expected, Peedie harmed no chickens, merely polished off their breakfast. Therefore as he had his afternoon nap, the chickens feasted on crushed up Bonios (dog biscuits). It seemed only fair.  Who am I to deny chickens previously robbed of a breakfast of bread!
 The girls agreed. Bonios all round was the cry. And we did provide. And they feasted on bonios galore!
 The chicken friendly, bread theif had no clue, tucked up in bed for the afternoon. What a silly sleepy dog.

8 comments:

  1. What a great dog and chicken tale! Dear Peedie, just doing his job AND living off the land. You must have taken the chicken images at sunset or something, such rosy color, really really pretty chickens!

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  2. Peedie he informs me was teaching them tunnelling skills, in exchange for bread. Linnew you make me giggle I've had a pumpkin voice in my head since your last post. Living off the land I guess he could be!

    Chickens stroll around free range for a good part of the day, afternoon sun was beautiful yesterday, when I saw them in the sun, I had to take a picture!
    Having heard of the bonio incident, he's contemplating engaging a lawyer.

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  3. Oh dear, pesky Peedie! I'm so sorry, I laughed out loud, especially at your punishment of feeding the chickens Bonios :) :) Those chicken photos in the sunlight are beautiful! xx

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  4. I was just wondering - do you have foxes up there - 'cos if the dog can find a way in -you get my drift.

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  5. Cheery, I laughed, then had a bit of an evil cackle when I went for the Bonios!

    Elaine, no mammal predators here. But nice you thought of it

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  6. Elaine, no foxes, badgers, etc nowt that would bother the chooks ta for mentioning it though! X

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  7. But does he know that the chickens got to eat his bonios? If not, surely he is unaware of being punished and will probably repeat the theft? I think community service is required, some weeding perhaps...

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  8. Einstein is a handsome beast. Is he a clever clogs as well and live up to his name? In the days when we
    had our first three hens and a cockerel, they were named Errol, Tallulah, Gertrude and Hermione.He certainly took his Flynn type duties seriously....

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