July 2011

News from the Sanctuary.

Funny things happen when you live here and these last months have been no exception!

One of our little hens found a quiet little spot in the straw at the back of the barn to lay her eggs and then sneak off quietly to hatch them. We do try to remove the eggs to prevent breeding but when I discovered her sitting I couldn't bring myself to disturb her and so she sat … and sat … and sat! Egglatina, as she was know sat like a demon until out popped a massive family of 12 beautiful babies. There were so many that they could barely fit under her and would pop their little heads out over the top of her wings to have a look round and their new world.

We moved her into an outside run as we have cats and the chicks were so tiny and vulnerable and that's when the strangeness began. Our male goose took up century duty outside her pen and watched the family through the mesh not leaving them all day till dark when he went to bed. He guarded 'his' family so fiercely that he would attack any other animal that approached and the only way that we could do anything was to keep him in during the morning until we'd fed watered and generally tended the little mum and kids. He'd pelt out as soon as his door was opened, waddled at the speed of light, his big feet slapping on the ground as he raced to her and there he'd stand until nightfall, threatening anything that approached.

At first it was sort of an, 'ahh' thing. How strange and cute, but then the days ran into a week and mum was desperate to get her babies out on the grass, to scratch and learn to be chickens. Still the security man stood at the door like a threatening nightclub bouncer and we were worried that he might turn on the little family once we let them out – but let them out we had to and so we fended him off to get to the pen and opened the door. It was with bated breath that we stood back and watched and our fears were dispelled in a moment.

Gently he stretched his long neck out to them in greeting, revelling in the chance to actually touch 'his' babies that he'd only been able to see through the mesh. Any fears of danger we'd had for the babies out in the big, bad world with just their mum, disappeared. Egglatina was no longer a single parent! We named him Dad and boy oh boy was he dedicated to his new roll in life. Everywhere Eggy and the kids went so did Dad. He would stress if one wandered away and would go to it, doing his level best to get it back to mum. You could see his dilemma as time went on and the chicks began to venture off in different directions. Which one should he get back first? So he would literally go into a flap, honking at Eggy to pay more attention to her duty as a mother and shouting at his kids to stop being so naughty. Needless to say mum was as calm as ever and took not a jot of notice of the rantings of Dad.

The babies were growing up and her bond with them was gradually beginning to break in the natural way.

Egglatina and the chicks parted company a few weeks ago and she found herself a boyfriend leaving her massive brood to Dad.

Today Dad is as devoted to his family as ever despite no input from Eggy and he has no interest in her. She has given him the brood that he clearly loves to madness and despite the fact that they are now little chickens still he protects them with a passion.

Sounds like something off the Jeremy Kyle show but wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could love as much?