yes it is that time of year again, our lovely ex-landlady (and now neightbour) Trish and her crazy physics husband Malc have headed off to sunnier climbs leaving me to look after the ‘chickens of doom’ for two weeks. This doesn’t sound that horrific until you hear three facts 1. last time I looked after them I had to take one of them to the vets to be put down, I cried alot (despite the fact that she was not my pet), 2. They have a cockrel called Philip, Philip has been known to become upset if you spend too long ‘looking at his birds’ (you have to say that in an Eastenders accent, them’s the rules). When I say upset what I mean is he will charge at you and try to attack your legs (yes this is why the other neighbours don’t look after them, as you have to catch Philip of an evening and take him into the house, otherwise he wakes the neighbours, being a cockrel he’s a pretty big bird…). 3. (This was the only thing I didn’t know). Trish recently aquired some ex-battery hens, when ‘the girls’ arrived they were in a pretty bad state, they had virtually no feathers and they couldn’t cluck properly anymore. Thanks to the loving care of Trish however their plumage is now growing back and they can make some sort of attempt at a cluck, however they still have flashbacks to
their battery days… The first day I was looking after them was a Saturday, it had been a tough week so I set my alarm for 9, at 7.09 I got a phone call from Trish (aboard the ferry) apologising for waking me but the chickens must be let out now! I repeated, what now? Down the phone and she stated that yes, the girls have to be let out as soon as it is light otherwise they think they are back in the factory. So (because I am lovely/guilable) I got dressed and headed on round there and have been doing some version of this ever since (on work days it’s kind of fine as 
I’m up at 6am anyway, on the weekends however I’ve just been putting a mac on over my nightie and shoving my wellies on then going back to bed afterwards. They are away for two weeks, something tells me it’s gonna feel a good deal longer…
