Away from serious life: life with 2 chickens

The chickens have been living at our home for three days. They are a bit more familiar with the surroundings now. It was really amazing to watch how they stick together and walk together slowly towards the back of the garden, discovering their new home. I cut the edges of their wings to prevent them from flying, so they are safe to be left in the garden all day.

Bebs, my darling nephew, is so keen on playing with them. Yesterday, it was very difficult to take him away from the garden after we put the chicken in their hut to sleep. He kept “speaking” and pulling me to open the garden door. After sometime, I understood his speech and signs (he is learning sign language as a way to help him to express himself and to speak). Ka ka okh okh : chicken went to sleep!

He was upset that when he threw the ball at the chickens, they ran away instead of playing with him. He reminded me of when my daughter was his age, crying in Trafalgar Square when the pigeons refused to play with her and flew away every time she came near. It seemed like only last week that we were in London-how time flies! Actually nearly every time I see her, a mature young woman, I wonder where my lovely baby have gone!

Oh, I nearly forgot the big excitement today, Sheko (Bebs’ older brother) found an egg today in the chicken’s hit- a fat brown egg. I will cook it for my daughter and the 2 boys to share- their very first home grown organic egg!

Since my daughter was born, we spent every holiday at home in Egypt. Em, my daughter enjoyed her grandmother’s looking after the chickens and eating fresh eggs. My mum would buy tiny new born chicks and name them after her children and grandchildren. Being the first grandchild, Em enjoyed lavish affection of her grandparents. They still occupy an important place in her life.

I must dash now to pick Bebs from kindergarten.

Away from serious life: life with 2 chickens

Day 1

Today we took the kids to a farm. Bebs, the most precious of all, was particularly happy running around in the big yard. The other kids went to discover the tunnels inside the hey piles. What a great idea for kids-not for the car afterwards!  At 2.00 they went with the farm workers to feed the animals. It was a great experience for the kids.

Bebs learnt to say goat though he says it "goo" but in his condition, it was a big achievement. He was a bit scared of touching the cows, cheep and goats but he loved imitating the sound of pigs. There was 4 lovely baby pigs asleep huddling together. Strange how babies of all animals, including humans, are so beautiful. Those piglets were particularly peaceful. I am not sure if they are grown for bacon or for something else!

I have been thinking about buying chickens for almost a year now. I grow up with my mother rearing chicken, pigeons, ducks- at a room of the kitchen in our flat and afterwards on the roof of the house. Feeding the birds was always top priority for my mother: dump birds they will not ask for food or water, so it is our responsibility to look after them. It was almost a religious ritual for my mother. We were rewarded with the most delicious organic eggs and birds (that was before I became vegetarian). Yet they were not my responsibility. I occasionally took food or water to them or collected eggs but they were my mother's responsibility.

This would be different- my responsibility primarily. My daughter has been nagging me to buy a dog for 20 years but I utterly refused. I cannot take the responsibility for animal care and I am not really an animal fan. Also I always said to her that if I had extra money to spend ( which I do not) on food, vet, and so on, I'd rather give it to poor people. She said that animals would be good for Bebs, who is a toddler with special needs. This was my weak point. So I thought no dogs but I would go for chicken like what my mum did. He can learn from looking after the chickens and he can eat their fresh eggs. They may benefit the garden with natural manure!

So it came to being that at the end of the farm visit we bought 2 chickens. A week ago, we bought a little hut and covered its ground with hey ready for the chickens. 

So the 2 chickens had their first night in the small hut. Apparently it will take them 10 days to get used to the new environment from living with many chickens in a big farm to the loneliness of only 2 chickens in a small garden and  small hut.