Day 32.

The Fabulous Jack. Photographed by F. L. Campbell

Bush eggs: one. Nest box eggs: none. Feed hopper: half full. Weather: quite warm today – nice.

He may be a meanie by not letting me have another family but I do love Jack. He’s tolerant and calm but very powerful. And handsome! Whew, if I were younger (and not his mother) I’d fall for him in a big way. He’s always been an affectionate boy too, snuggling up to me on the perch at night. I reckon that’s why he was spared and his brothers were ‘Sent Away’. When the female person came in the middle of the night with the dreaded cage his brothers were all sitting (and shitting) on the feed bins, but Jack was snuggled up to me on the perch where all good chickens should be of a night. “Right, he’s the one,” says the female person and I think she meant “the one to take over from Major and look after the hens”. It doesn’t seem right for a mother to play favourites but I think she made an excellent choice. I do miss my other sons though.