Here Come The Girls...

Friday, 16 June 2023

Written by Kestrel Lodge

Those of you who have visited us on site will have seen the girls, and the couple of lads, wandering about site like they own the place.

Well, these free range hens pretty much do own the place, so we thought it was about time we introduced you to them all. After all, they're major attractions here at Kestrel Lodge.

Mad Meave – The Oldest Chicken in Cumbria. This feisty feathered guard hen has been with us since before she laid her first egg, a much loved character around site she’s been going strong since 2016!

                                  Mad Maeve                                                                     Babs

Babs – One of our rescue pack, Babs, is a rather timid hen who loves a snuggle. She’s still recovering from the trauma of her previous life where she was very stressed and anxious, which caused her to lose many of her feathers, and become a little bit fragile. She’s recovering slowly but surely and is a very loving little hen.

                                              Rocky                                                                                    Stubborn Mary

Rocky – Our proud cockerel, in fine voice and crowing with the dawn chorus. With his plume of beautiful tail feathers, he likes to strut his stuff all over site and show you just how proud he is of his little flock.

Stubborn “Bloody” Mary – because she really is stubborn. If she doesn’t want to go to the coop...she tuck’s herself right up on the axle of the car in the wheel arch and hides. Then pecks you when you try to get her down to put her to bed...hence the bloody part.

                               Miss Peckins                                            Stoopid                                          Little T

Miss Peckins – The New Guard Hen. One of our rescue hens, Miss Peckins is not shy in making her feelings known...about everything. And most of those feelings are stay away. She’ll tell you to ‘stay away’, she’ll tell your pooch to ‘stay away’, your cat, most of the other hens, the crows, sheep, cows, cars...all with a feisty peck!

Stoopid – Our other cockerel, and supposedly Rocky’s brother (raised eyebrow), the little white silky male harking back to the ancient Ptarmigan breed that dates back to the Ice Age. He got his nickname from his younger days when he used to refuse to sleep in the chicken coop at night. He’s also a lucky little fella though, as he’s survived a dog attack and is held together by staples and superglue! (Veterinary ones—not ones from the shop)

Little T – A little chicken with a big personality and a hairdo you can’t forget. We’re actually not totally sure if Little T is a ‘Mr’ or a ‘Mrs’ as this little chicken crows like the dudes and clucks along with the girls sometimes too. They also have more than a passing interest in the ladies, if you know what I mean. We have an open coop policy with non-discriminatory practices in place. Little. T uses the pronouns they/them.

                  Pirate Queens: Grace O'Malley & Anne Bonny                                                     Big Bea

Our Pirate Queens, Grace O’Malley and Anne Bonny. Two fiery red headed buccaneers who’ll have the bacon out of your frying pan soon as look at ya...or the hotdog sausage out of your bun! You can tell these two ladies apart only by one tiny piratical detail. Grace O’Malley has only one; ‘tis a long story involving a young bullock, Queen Elizabeth (the first), a hankie and a duplicitous lord or two. Get an Irish whisky or two in her and she’ll tell you the whole sorry tale around the campfire. Anne on the other hand, lock up your bread rolls and stash your sweets! She’ll make ya walk the plank for a well roasted marshmallow!

Big Bea – What do you get when you cross a Chicken with a Turkey? Just kidding. Big Bea is a Buff Orpington, one of the largest domestic chicken breeds, and boy can you tell when you get one of her eggs! She is a lovely, docile chicken, and her feathered legs always remind me of Victorian knickerbockers!

Ginger and Snow White are very rare and unusual pair. Half sisters from a Cornish Game Hen mother, Ginger is Rocky’s daughter, while Snow White...is Stoopid’s. Both of them are very, very shy and run away whenever anyone goes near them. With their proportionally long legs and quick turn of speed...I often think they’re related to roadrunner’s!

                                             Ginger                                                                                           Snow White

Dot Brown – our speckled trader in gossip. Loves nothing better than hanging around the yurts scratting for worms and passing the time of day about all the goings on at Kestrel Lodge. The original editor of the Chicken Coop Chatter Daily Newspaper before technology left her behind and she couldn’t convert to a digital world.

                                          Dot Brown                                                Lady Jane Gray                                      Pollyanna

Lady Jane Gray – Loves lavender, pansies, dirt spa’s, strawberry tops, sweetcorn, melon chunks, and lying around in flower beds.

Pollyanna – the last of our rescue hens and the one who has most regularly put herself to bed, not drawn bloody or punctured anything, or invaded the house! The good girl of the bunch!

Be warned, me hearties, Grace O'Malley be watchin y'all!

Cross me beak with morsels,

Be they tender, juicy, or sweet,

If not, the plank be waiting,

Wi' Davy Jones' Locker 'neath thy feet!