u/Mandi_Cams_Dackers

Yes, well; That's what I often call them, in my own head. Sometimes out loud.

Anyway, I was out there today. Last I knew, I seemed to have three chaykes in the Jim coop. Hadn't planned for them. Don't actually want them. Just got fed up with nicking the eggs and thought I'd give one particularly determined hen a break.

Lo and behold 🙄

Been there a couple of days now. Might point out, I also have a dozen gif keets, in a completely rate proof coop / aviary, a few yards away.

And, today, I noticed one of my Tunnel Traps had been busy. Opened it up and, sure enough, rate. Good, grown, healthy looking bugger ~ well, it had been, as it sauntered into my tunnel. Wasn't too healthy now. Obviously.

Took it out. Slung it out where I feed the birds, foxes and brockses. Guess that would've been an end to it. Only, it got me thinking:

I probably only stop a rate, maybe three times a year? I'd think so. Of course, I don't take photo's of them. Or make any written notes anywhere. It's just what it is. But ..... chaykes? I wonder?

See; The rats live in the ditch, during the summer. Ditch is about fifteen, twenty foot from the coops. Winter, they fuck off. Usually end up in my roof, actually. Drive the Dogs mad, scurrying up and down in the wall beside my bed. Don't bother me though. But, there's that.

Point is; They're in the ditch, close to the coops, all summer. Birds are in the coops. All summer. Looking at it? I've never had chaykes in those coops. Incubated and brooded myself. Indoors.

Now? First time with chaykes out there. And, within Hours, I have a full grown, perfectly healthy rate. 🤔 I mention its state of health and growth, see, because that tells Me something. Tells me why that rat Hadn't come out of its ditch. Crossed right over the track, and the open, short grass to my coops.

So, by elimination, it would seem it was interested in those fucking chaykes! :o The peeping, see? Heard that and came a'running.

Bastards, eh?

I had to come back! 😄

I joined here, a year or two ago. Was really ~ still! ~ into getting some Gif's. Have been practically all my life. Then, I found they can live for a decade?! Figured I can't guarantee that of myself. So, ditched the whole idea. Bowed out of here :(

What can I say? Guess I just folded! 🤣

WTF Have I Done Now?!

😂

Yesterday. 19:00. The alarm goes off. I get up and go feed the Dogs.

19:30. Cake turns up and we discuss his running water to my chicken pen. We go down to look at the job. It's realised that there's a thirty foot long, eight foot tall wall of brush, right where he needs to get. Shit!

I say, no worries. I'll deal with that. Cake looks sideways at me. Like he thinks I've lost my mind. I shrug. He goes. I go get my hand tools.

22:30, job done. So am I. I seriously contemplate what's up with me. I'm Old. That job was Hard. WTF was I thinking? And, I should've fed the foxes and badger at 22:00 .....

As I ran their feed out, I noticed That hen wasn't in bed, again. Why can't she just go in the coop, through the Omlet door, like all the rest?

Feed the creatures. Treat my wrecked and sore body to a pint of Guinness 0.0. Look in here. Watch some tube. Crawl into bed.

02:00. Two o' clock in the fucking morning; I'm awake. That fucking chicken!!!

02:05. I'm out there. Buck naked. Like a tattooed skeleton. Ushering poxy chickens back into coops. I'm now pretty certain I've lost my mind!

But; Could You have just gone back to sleep though? :|

Just this second stood up, to pull the blind down. Glanced out the window, to where I feed the foxes (The badgers, and god knows what else!)

And, there's 'Fox Fox' ~ alright; The name I give to all and any of the foxes. Just like I've called a procession of male pheasants 'Seiko' for way more years than a pheasant can live.

She's munching away. But, there's this little shape next to her. The light's fading fast. But, it's discernibly Fox shaped! Then, just as it sunk in, the little bugger must've spotted me, and bolted back toward home! LOL!

I can just see the vixen teaching it: This is where we get breakfast. That's the man; He's no harm to us. And Don't, for fuck sake, touch that fucking mesh there!!!

:D

One mate's giving up the ghost, to cancer. Other's simply disappeared in a puff of smoke 😞

https://preview.redd.it/451qqp3pvp1h1.jpg?width=650&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1addf9b30a228214cd729ce86cee693801bd9278

So, fuck it; Figured I'd have a little cheer with you lot 😉

Been down my stables, see? Tinkering about. Doing tiny bits to my latest 'Coop De Ville'. Then, the old enthusiasm fired up and off I went. Got the tape measure out .....

Figuring, for well under the half Large, I can crack on and convert a Lot of, once dead. space into Two chicken runs! Completely self contained. Indoors. Vermin proofed.

I've been killing myself, for Weeks, now. Down there, pulling eleven hour days. Grafting without a break. Ripping shit apart. Cutting it up. Carting it away. Now, we are clear for take off! 😁

It's gonna be a Mammoth task. No two ways about that. But, so what? All entirely doable. Best bit is that I'll be working under cover, look. Weather's fucking Horrible, here. For May(?!) June's set to be no better! FFS!

But, yeah: Pumped! 😄 This is what happens when ye 'Give up the booze and the one night stands'. (And the smoking. And the Gear. And taxi's 🙄 Fuck all else left in life. So, I focus on my chickens! 🎉 😁)

And, the Outside's gonna be fucking Epic! There's gonna be a run on Tunnel Traps and Electric Chicken Mesh! Not even sure what I'm putting In there, yet! 🤣

Anyway ... That's got That off my chest! I feel better for it. Sod what anyone else thinks 👍 Pumped As Fuck! I Do like a good Project! 😎