Going Cheep

As our hens are on go slow we are not getting many eggs so we took a top tip from the Stable Sprite and went across the valley to a farm where they have free range hens. Dozens of eggs are at the end of the lane and the honesty box system works really well. The eggs are fantastic, lots are double yolked, its a win situation as they are cheaper than producing our own, which might be why our hens look so worried.

So whilst the preparations for Burns Night were at full flow I kept getting distracted by a plaintive cheep cheep sound. Convinced it was from the eggs the 30 eggs were examined, no signs of life and the cheeping stopped. Must be a bird outside. No. Wait. Listen there it was again. Eggs dutifully inspected, nothing. Cheep Cheep. I must be going mad. Tracey and her Mum stood to listen, yes there was a cheep, and another. The eggs were definitely talking to us. As we went through them all yet again trying to find the lucky chick I spotted the dog alarm on the windowsill. Cheep Cheep. The dog alarm is a high pitched squealing alarm which is used to distract the dogs from barking. I found it on a clear out the other day. As it lay in a pool of water critically malfunctioning, Cheep Cheep, the "chick" was found. Its now in the bin. Minus its battery.