Flora and the Poo Bucket

I am at a loss for words. After working all day, I dashed down to the allotment to feed the chickens and check on Cliff’s black leghorn. She seemed happy enough in the greenhouse although her weird crowing was back. I managed to get a few chunks of apple sauce down her but I think she may need another dose of cider vinegar. It’s so difficult when they gape to make sure they are eating and drinking enough!

Down in the nest house, I discovered a solitary egg. Rolling my eyes, I went into the run and began to tell the girls off. Tommy, as ever, strutting around trying to look tough and failing. As I was checking my feet were out of Tommy’s beak range, I happened to look into the poo bucket. There, at the bottom, was an egg.

An idiotic bird had laid another egg in the bucket! Why do I always seem to get the crazy ones?! Other people seem to have nice docile, friendly hens who never seem to do anything out of the ordinary. Judging from the olive colour, I rounded on Flora who walked past trying to look innocent. I confess yelling at a chicken may not have been my proudest moment, but thankfully, no one else was on site! What possesses a bird to ignore a clean, warm and dry nest box and insist on laying in the poo bucket?!

I walked home, muttering to myself about idiotic birds. The irritating thing about this is even if there was a nest box apiece, Flora is the spiteful type of chicken to continue to lay in the poo bucket. I plan to spend the evening working out how to stop her laying in the poo bucket – this may well turn into a war. But for now it’s Flora 1 – Humans 0…