Friday, 24 June 2011

Another broody hen.......with babies

I had two good sessions this morning.
With Remy, I rode him up to the school through the field, a first. Jim walked on ahead, and after a few seconds of hesitation, I think while he was trying to figure out why I wasn't leading him as usual, he went no problem.
He was more focussed today with good bending to the left, some nice halt/reinback/ walk-on transtions and a little shoulder-in work down the long side. He's more reluctant to flex to the right, but again, it became easier today throughout the session. I practiced rein-back/walk on on the right rein, asking for a small flexion inside as I asked him to walk on which seemed to help. I finished by riding him along the lane home and having a little trot.

Bonbon's in-season at the moment and is a little sucky, she was a sweetheart today in the school. A short lungeing session moving her around the school, first at walk getting her to relax with a good, active walk and then asking for the trot transition. She's pretty relaxed in the trot, finding good balance, but I really hope she comes up more in the wither as sometimes I'm not quite sure she knows what to do with her extremely tall back legs. Between changes of rein, we worked a little on moving her quarters and shoulders and she seems to understand exactly what I'm asking for.
We finished with me laying over her back and she was really chilled about it.

Jilly hen, who has been sitting on about a dozen eggs for the last few weeks, hatched the first two today so we've moved her into the nursery with Cindy hen and her 7 babies who are now a month old. Hopefully they'll be going into their own little nursery pen at the weekend, leaving Jilly in peace.
Why are we doing this exactly? I'm not cut out for it, because I can't contemplate eating them. I can't believe the joy I feel watching them grow and develop into little personalities.
HELP.  Good homes wanted for good layers, hmmm, beautiful fresh eggs!!  Anyone?

2 comments:

Claire said...

you're a bit far away from me for me to take either eggs OR hens.... but I have no doubt you'll find homes for all...

SheilaF said...

Yes, I'm too far as well. Pity, we could do with some nice fresh eggs!

The hens at our yard met an untimely end last week - Mr. Fox got into their enclosure and that was that!! Really wish the girl who keeps them would think twice about having them at our yard. They don't get looked after very well and I feel they are just too vulnerable.

Yours sound as though they have a rather joyful time of it!