Lazy Sunday

While I did horse mucking out, Angie took off with the dogs and Sultan for a ride. Picked up Flash after 40 minutes and came home for a Sunday boiled egg breakfast. We don't normally breakfast at all.

Then set to work in the garden trying to sort out one of the beds, a favourite scratching ground of the hens. Wanted to find a way of planting herbs and protecting them from the hens and generally stop them throwing piles of earth on the paved area. As always the hens wanted to help and on several occasions when I went to get a coffee refill, came back to find the freshly placed plants dug out. They tested my nerves!

In the early evening Angie drove to Buchloe to collect an "Easter Egg" cock which someone wanted to get rid of. We haven't had a proper sized cock for many years but have several bantam cocks who do try their best to look after the big hens but probably don't fully satisfy the girls. Hopefully the new one will. He turned out to be a very good looking fellow and very large. Previous owners seemed to Angie to be a bit out of their depth with the cock which they had been given - not enough hens and far too little room. They also had a little fear of him although the breed is normally relatively peaceful and certainly Angie had no problem catching him and putting him in the transport box.

Hopefully he will settle in and not go after the bantam cocks or think he needs to "look after" the bantam girls. We still plan to get rid of our bantams in due course.

Most of all I hope the cock can keep his ladies under control and out of the flower beds. By the way the bantams are no problem in the garden. Worst case the cock starts scratching and boy does he have very big, long claws!!!

While waiting for Angie to return, the dogs and I played a round of frisbee on the freshly rolled field. Despite all his aches and pains, Flash has to play but we only through his disc a few meters and try to avoid him jumping too much.

Had a good frost last night. Was a coolish day with a light easterly wind but that should help dry out the fields for the horses. We are letting them out most days on the rented field hoping our own fields will start to put on some growth this week and we can soon let them out 24 hours/day. Makes it much easier for us in terms of work although we do clear the fields every day of their droppings..