Day 20.

Marigold and the car. Photography by F L Campbell

Bush eggs: zero – a day off for the girls. Nest box eggs: zero – a day off for me. Feed hopper: three-quarters full. Weather: Lovely sunny day.

Did not check on Steve (until VERY late in the day). She’s fine, looks a bit itchy but that will be the lice finally settling in with vengeance.

And what amused the Boys today, you might ask? Cars, of all the daft things. Their interest in cars reminded me of Marigold. She was a bit partial to cars too. Marigold was one of three very scruffy hybrid layer hens we had living here a while back. Marigold, Ginger and Taffy. Daft, Plain and Common I used to call them (not within earshot, you understand, except for the time I was talking to Major and didn’t see them coming up the hill – oops!). Still, they could really lay up a storm; six eggs in seven days, week after week.

Anyway, back to Marigold and her penchant for cars. The Female Person would leave her car door open while putting away bags of food and Marigold would jump in, any chance she got. There’s even a photograph of Marigold in the boot of a shiny, flashy red car (The Male Person was none too thrilled since it was his favourite toy). She was curious, but not truly brave. The Female Person invited her to stay for a drive one time but as soon as she turned on the noise Marigold was out of that car quick as a scalded chook.

I told Marigold that no good would come to a young hen in the back seat of a car but unusually I was wrong – nothing ever happened.