Roosting Roosters

My chicken have come home to roost!

Seriously, the farm began sounding like a real farm the day Annie Cariappa brought Vito and Maria Cocklioni over. Of course, she didn't know that would be their names, she just knew them as her noisy naati kolis. But Zui was watching The Godfather Trilogy - Director's cut that season and the rest is history. 

There is quite nothing like the sound of a crowing rooster to make a yard, Old McDonald’s own. Maria laid 13 eggs that ended up in 5 full grown chickens – 1 hen and 4 roosters. Shankaramma’s standing complaint is that this farm spawns only male children. No eggs, no milk, they serve no purpose at all, sell those damned bulls, she pleads, but we just look at Chinna, (the latest in our stream of male spawn) his kind eyes and can't imagine selling him to an unknown future. At some point though, this will have to stop. Lakshmi will have to be kept away from the bulls. Maybe we should acquire another little female calf.

The chickens, meanwhile, have made the wall near the outdoor shower their space. They sit there looking picturesque all day. In the night, they make a flappy, short flight upwards and roost in the trees. 

Notice the number of combs? It'll be a short while before the rooster fights begin. Maybe I'll get some guinea fowl and geese to counter these.

Kothaiah got married yesterday so the whole family is away in Nellore leaving us in charge with help from Narsamma and Narsappa from the village. Yes, they share a name and are very happy to do so.

This morning, I found Anjali (the dark pony) with 4 feet of barbed wire caught in her tail. Try as I might, I couldn't get it out. Everytime I grabbed the wire she ran and I had to let go before the barbs ripped through my palm. Eventually, Narsaiah got it out. Next mission was to get all three horses into their paddock to prevent more of the same happening. It took about 45 minutes and the joint efforts of three of us - Narsaiah, Konarak and me. Call as we might, the horses just ignored us and went about grazing on the new grass that the rains have brought.  No amount of cajoling worked. Eventually Konarak brought out some Amul cheese and a tomato, imagining the horses like pizza, I assume. They ignored the cheese but the dog's got at it pronto. The tomato had better chances but suddenly Zara began bucking and running causing me to run too. Noorie finally walked into the paddock, having responded to my dha dha dha sounds and not to the tomato. Anjali in her short tempered way, followed and got chased a while by Noorie. Zara took sometime, but eventually and most huffily, she walked in too. Phew. I need a glass of wine.