18 months ago I adopted 3 ex-battery hens.
I named 2 of them “Georgia” and “Charlotte” after the 10 year old twin girls who live next door. The girls were delighted with their namesakes and would often visit my chickens and bring them food and treats. If they saw me out in the garden I would often hear “MUM! Can we go and see the chickens?”.

Unfortunately Georgia the chicken turned out to be psychotic and would tear chunks out of the other two hens, so I had to give her away to a middle-aged couple that keep a big flock of chickens. Understandably, the little girl next door was quite sad that “her” chicken had gone, but I assured her that she would love her new home and have loads more space to run around with her new chicky friends. I also promised to keep her updated with how she was getting on.

In the past year I have reported that:
- Georgia settled in well, there was a bit of pecking from the other hens at first but they are all friends now.
- Georgia has made friends with a bantam cockerel and they are inseparable.
- Georgia is laying a nice big egg every day
- Georgia is always the last into the coup at night because she loves her new home so much.
- Georgia has gone broody and is sitting on some eggs
- Georgia is now a mummy and spends her time looking after her fluffy yellow chicks.

Here comes the confession part; very little of the above is true. A month after I gave her away, a fox tore her to shreds along with some of the other chickens. Apparently there was blood and guts and feathers everywhere, they had to hose the coup down with a pressure washer the carnage was so great. They found Georgia’s head in the bushes; beak mid-squawk and eyes still wide open with terror.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 10:39, 3 replies)

When I was young, we had chickens and a rooster.
One night the gate was apparently left open and the rooster was taken by a fox.

My mother asked me whether I left the gate open. I don't know whether I did or not, but her accusation haunts me to this day.
This is even after hearing how chickens are killed in processing factories, which is far more evil than mr fox. Childhood memories are irrational.
(stuntsmile, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 11:34, closed)

The fox may have got in even if the gate had been shut

( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 11:43, closed)

Maybe....
But my mother's tone was 'very' accusatory.
Think crown prosecutor's tone.
(stuntsmile, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 12:15, closed)