We have now!
I really will post some stories along the lines of
It shouldn't happen to a vet when I have some time ...
will just start with George, the henpecked bantum rooster. One of a trio of Pekins, he and his wives insisted on living outside the main roosting barn, so we built them a small pen for themselves. We had three large cockerels in the main barn, one of which, Richard, was the larger of the two Rhode Island Reds. He wanted to rule the roost, but he didn't ... that was Henry, our Marron. So Richard used to take it out on George and attack him at every possible opportunity.
Over a few weeks, George became more and more depressed. Wouldn't go out, wouldn't listen to his wives, wouldn't eat. We were really worried. His poor little crest lost colour, went all floppy ...
So we built him a perch with a
large tray underneath, and brought him into the kitchen, where he lived next to the window, high enough on his perch to see out into the garden, and directly between the Aga and the Doberman's bed. Perfect place because Max, the Doberman (Agony Uncle to every living thing), would protect him from Ali (cross Lab who was always very cross!) and Jip (sheepdog, insanity on stilts), as well as from Laurel and Hardy (tabby queen and ginger tom).
Over time, George grew confident enough to parade around the kitchen, then decided to follow us outside, then one day fluttered up into the landrover and came to town with us, perching proudly on the headrest of the passenger seat.
Having got quite a bit of his old self-assurance back, after a couple of months he went out of the door one day, strutted purposefully down to the bottom barn where Richard was beating up Robert, the second in command Rhode Island cockerel, and where Henry was doing what he had prime right to do to all the hens given that he was top of the pecking order.
George FLEW at Richard, took him so much by surprise that he stopped pecking Robert, almost fell over backwards, at which point Robert realized he had a new ally. From then on it was George and Robert versus Richard, and George had a new lease of life, to the delight of his by new severely fed up wives! Henry, of course, didn't notice ... too busy. Richard never quite recovered!
More about all these over coming posts ...
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