about me

Monday 6 February 2012

A tale of five hens....!

When I first met Top he was an agronomist
and on this particular Friday he had arranged to visit a farmer to discuss a new feeding regime for his cattle.

He arrived to find the farmer had been called away unexpectedly so he refused the offer of a cup of tea thinking he could finish the day early

but
The farmer's wife asked if he could do a small favour first
of course he could!

They had a large family gathering the next day and the farmer had left before organising the 5 hens she needed for the lunch
 could Top please dispatch them for her?


 Top had never done this before, but he did know how to do it
you pull and twist the neck in a smooth fast motion and it breaks the neck instantly.
Unfortunately Top had a very soft spot for all animals, but he was also a gentleman and could not refuse the farmers wife

So it was with great trepidation that he approached the first hen that had been chosen as the dinner sacrifice.
10 minutes later he presented the farmers wife with her 5 lifeless bodies with poor little necks hanging at an awful angle . She put them on the laundry floor for plucking later and Top went on with his days work.

It was only after many repeat visits to this farm that he learnt the fate of those five hens. Somehow the subject of the family party came up and Top asked how lunch had gone
 The wife gave him a strange look.


Oh very good the farmer replied we had spit roasted  pig and it was a great success
Oh, said Top, I thought you were having chicken
the wife gave him the strangest look and went blood red

Oh no said the farmer, my wife asked a caller to wring their necks for her but when she went to pluck them they were all wandering around the laundry!


The farmer's wife never gave Top away, and she did tell him she felt that those five hens had been through enough with their poor sore necks so they had a lifetime reprieve and apparently went on to die of old age!!!!!!

Top was happy for the 5 hens but did admit that he always had trouble calling at that farm again!!!!

It wasn't long after that that he went into hospitality!!!!!

No hens were harmed in the writing of this post!!! 
 the images were all taken in a friends garden

13 comments:

  1. Jules I love this post ! Poor Top, he really did not want to harm the chickens!
    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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    Replies
    1. Karena he was such a softy when it came to all animals. xx

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  2. What a lovely memory. Sending good wishes your way, especially today.

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    Replies
    1. He would tell this story often and it became one of our family favourites!!!!!

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  3. We've dispatched a rooster or three here by the ponds, and it's always been a terrible undertaking.
    Loved this story though!

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    Replies
    1. Top always wanted his own chooks but I think it was this event that kept his wishes from ever becoming fact!

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  4. Hello Julienne~ ~ ~It's so nice to meet you. Heaven only knows how I got here but I am glad that I did.
    I enjoyed your story about the chickens. My family has a few chicken stories too. Good for a winter night by the fire. Have joined your followers list so I will return. Be well.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

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  5. A beautiful story Julienne and one that evokes memories of my own little family's foray into chook ownership.
    Once upon a time we lived on a acreage property and every single chook died of old age because my husband and I could not dream of killing them. The old timers about the traps offered to do the deed but still we said no.
    My husband would joke those girls were the best fed and nurtured hens to ever live years beyond their laying use by date. As we discovered giving them names was a no-no because this made them part of the family!
    xx

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  6. When I was growing up the poddy lambs became ours and my cousin and I named them...Huge mistake!!! We had bottle fed, cuddled them, named them...and then they went of to market (if their wool wasn't fine enough!) Many a tear was shed and I married a city bloke..then.... he brought me back to the country!!!!!

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  7. Oh Julienne I love this story! Made me chuckle... X

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    Replies
    1. How wonderful to have chickens running around free!!
      Julienne Hello, thanks for your com entario on my blog. If it were not for Blogger, we had not known. A hug. Manoli

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  8. Oh I love this story too! And the photos to go along with it are perfect! I also love what you wrote on "About me" ... it's been almost 5 years for me, and it's still hard, but the first year is the worst. Hoping you are managing ok.

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  9. So funny . . . poor chickens, they must have really wondered what happened.

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