Prizes for that quote…..maybe.  But, more seriously, we thought that we had a rat problem.  We did have evidence of rats last year but we dealt with them with some judicious placing of rat poison in their runs and since then the hens and ducks have not been troubled.  Imagine my horror last week when I went to let the ducks out and discovered that all the eggs on which one of the broodies was sitting had disappeared.  The duck seemed OK and waddled out to swim and eat with the others but I was really upset.  I decided it was rats and Jeremy bought more poison and I ordered a closed compost bin thinking that maybe our open wooden box was attracting the rodents.  But then we found two goose eggs on the ground, rolled out of their houses.  Strange.  Then yesterday and today we found broken goose eggs on “goose island” and on the banks of the pond.  On further investigation (and following Jeremy’s idea that it might be crows) it seems that it is highly likely that crows work alone or in pairs or more to steal eggs and absolutely love the taste of them.  Some smallholders report losing all their eggs every day to these highly intelligent birds.  So we are going to have to find ways to outwit them that do not involve shooting.  Thinking caps on…..

On a happier note, Iggle, Piggle and Wiggle are now living in the orchard and their milk bucket has been moved there too.  They are enjoying the lush grass and weeds and growing fat.