I just went out to see Lemon and the four remaining chicks. Jeremy had left one of the goose gates open this morning so that the birds could patrol the orchard and keep stoats and foxes away. Click below

Out in the field Lucy and Lily are enjoying some kitchen scraps – a few tough runner beans, a damaged apple and the core of a cabbage.

Good to see Lucy sharing and Lily coming so close to me.

In the big chicken run we had to take action to stop the Aracauna cockerel from flying into all the smaller pens and terrorising the hens and their chicks. We clipped his wings

One of the Orpington birds is “in love” with Mr A and when they are on opposite sides of the gate they pine for each other. So they are now sharing a shed at night alongside the other Orpington. It’s a ménage a trois which seems to work. The second Orpington has some of the outward signs of a cockerel – the tail feathers and crop – but his behaviour is passive and Jeremy is convinced that the bird is laying eggs. Maybe there is a trans poultry grouping. Nothing surprises me anymore!