Coco and Elvis, An Update.

[bluemoon]

Well, we went to Lynda's on Wednesday expecting to bring home Coco and Buttercup, but in the end came home with Coco and Elvis. Lynda thought (and I had to agree) that Buttercup might be a little flighty, especially as my grandson will be showing a great interest in them. One of those 'should have stayed in bed' days, but we made it to Lynda's... eventually. She's such a lovely lady and made us feel so welcome even though we were hours late. We finally got the boys to their new home at around 9.30pm and settled them in by moonlight, our son having borrowed every torch in the house for a camping trip. The next day we were back at the plot at first light and could hear other people's cockerels already crowing. I was slightly worried as I thought Coco might feel a little intimidated. No, Coco thought it was a competition... and one he was determined to win! "That's a very loud cockerel" we said as we left the car and, only as we approached the plot did we realize yup, it was ours. Fortunately Elvis is the strong, silent type. It's only when you've watched them for a while that you realize that Elvis is quiet because he's usually planning something.
The funniest thing I've seen whilst obsessively watching them these past two days was Coco standing with a dandelion flower hanging out of his mouth like the cow in the Magic Roundabout, then Elvis walking past and, without breaking stride, pinching Coco's flower and eating it before poor Coco even knew it had gone. See what I mean... devious. Elvis is also the first to explore when we gradually allow them into new areas. The second funniest thing I've seen is Coco jumping up and down trying to catch midges, then walking towards the pop hole as if finally off to bed (Elvis had been on the perch for half an hour at this point), before turning around and going back for yet another ten minutes of midge catching attempts.
They've both settled really well and that is in no small part due to Lynda, They both love being around people and rush to the edge of the run when they see someone approach. I can't wait until I dare let them out to roam the plot, I just know they'll be 'helping' me.
Thank you Lynda, they're already bringing us such fun.

[davefromthechipie]

Thanks for the update Im so glad they found a good home, sadly my cocks dont have this option

[FionaH]

So glad they are happy and have brought you such fun

[MaureenHall]

They sound real characters, both of them. Just about wet myself laughing (made myself cough too!) when I read the bit about the dandelion

Lynda - don't read this bit!!!

I agree, Lynda is a lovely lady, and she's put her heart and soul into rearing those chooks. She's done well

[Glutton4...]

Well done for giving them a home. It is sooooo funny watching them chasing and trying to catch bugs.

[HayleyB]

Aaaawwwww, sounds brill they are gonna live life to the full enjoy them

[lynda66]

the girls are really lost without them .... they won't eat .... not cos they aren't hungry, they are just used to the boys diving in and telling them i'm not trying to poison them lol ... they have been very quiet, not like them at all .... am so glad the boys are happy and i'm sure they will make lovely husbands

[allotmentlady]

i Laughed reading this so much,...good to hear they are okay...........will give you my verdict on lynda 2moro LOL...............xxx

[MaureenHall]

The girls will eat when they're hungry Lynda, give them a treat to give them a kick start into dining without their chaperones

[lynda66]

well they had leftover buttercup and veg ... oh i'm sooo cruel, they do love meat tho lol ... and i gave em bread cat biccies and oats for brekkie (their fave) and they hardly touched it ... but they have just shouted me from the kitchen so they got a handful of outs at the back door, i know they'll be fine i think they're just a bit confused, but they all had a cuddle this morning and they just chased a strange cat out the garden ... poor cat didn't know what to do lol

[Snadger]

well they had leftover buttercup and veg ... oh i'm sooo cruel, they do love meat tho lol ... and i gave em bread cat biccies and oats for brekkie (their fave) and they hardly touched it ... but they have just shouted me from the kitchen so they got a handful of outs at the back door, i know they'll be fine i think they're just a bit confused, but they all had a cuddle this morning and they just chased a strange cat out the garden ... poor cat didn't know what to do lol

Just give them a toy JCB and a cuddly toy!

[bluemoon]

It's 8am (ish) and I've already been up two hours and on the plot for over an hour of that. This chicken keeping lark certainly doesn't do much for your beauty sleep - and Lynda'll tell you I really NEED some - The boys currently have a small run that's just a temporary measure until the deluxe house with huge run is ready for them - hopefully at the weekend when the girls arrive. Anyway we moved the run last night after they'd gone to bed, just to the right so that it's largely on fresh ground, but the pop hole still opens into it. They were so happy to have fresh plants to destroy they didn't bother coming out, just stretched their necks as far as possible to reach the new greens, - and I don't believe how far they can stretch those necks!!! - it took them a couple of minutes to realize that ten seconds spent climbing out of the pop hole might be a better option.
I've been fascinated to see how they instinctively react to danger though, defending their house by standing as tall as possible and fluffing out their feathers to make themselves look bigger whenever they hear a magpie. Presumably Lynda, wonderful mum though she was, hasn't taught them this. Isn't nature brilliant? I'm sure they're going to protect their new girls well. Although Coco, who I think we've already established is never going to win Chicken Mastermind, seems to want to take on helicopters too. There was also The Bumble Bee Incident, when a particularly large example found its way into their house, but couldn't then find its way out, the reaction then seemed to be 'Everybody paaaanic!'
Sorry, I'm getting obsessive and boring, imagine what I'm going to be like when I first get an egg.
Oh and Lynda, mine are eating buttercups too, but the green, leafy kind and not..... ..... you didn't really let Pingu and the others.....y'know... did you?