Primrose is the top hen by default as she is the oldest chook in the roost. However, this important role has gone to her head, as a large hen her voice matches her size. The others take great delight in getting her into trouble, its ‘Primrose tell them we want a treat’, Primrose has a comb short of a wattle and starts to shout immediately, oi Baldy we need treats! The others fall around laughing behind their wings, the treats duly arrive and five minutes later one of the others say ‘Primrose we need new water’, true to form the hen shouts hey Baldy we need fresh water. The others by now behaving like demented maniacs laughing and lying in a collapsed heap in the middle of the run.
The water gets changed but old Baldy is getting fed up with this. Top hen is scooped up and taken into the conservatory and placed inside the ‘Time out box’ a cat basket kept indoors adorned with water and food to keep unruly and poorly hens tamed and quiet.
The others stand at the gate and make faces at her through the wire, Primrose is incandescent with rage and this is made worse when they all turn around, bend over and show her their fluffy pants! Life returns to normal while the statutory time out plays its course. On return from the ‘time out box’ she takes the walk of shame down the garden, quiet and subdued she returns to the run. Silence prevails for ten minutes.
One of the young hens then pipes up and says ‘we haven’t had any seed’ today and without thinking, Primrose is at the gate yelling. This time she was straight back to the box, no pacifying, no treats, ten minute timeout again. The others think this is hilarious but old Baldy knows their game. The hen coop is cleaned out and they are made to stand on the naughty step and watch. This worked for a bit but then they produced score cards, I felt that 2/10 was a bit harsh! Hens are so rude.
Harmony has resumed and silence becomes the norm, I must sign off now as a truck load of hen treats are being delivered. As it pulled up, they started again, Mabel wanted to drive the truck and the other poked fun at her. My advice is as always, don’t gets hens, they will always have you over.
John F Bennett, Author, Blogger and Military Historian 