Hello All I'm about to sit down for a much needed cup of tea after a visit from Radio Derby. They wanted to talk to some chickens! Apparently a study is being carried out about... I'm not too sure actually..., something to do with playing sounds to chickens for some reason. The reporter wanted to know If I talked to my chickens and if I understood the sounds they made. I was somewhat wary, not really wanting to be seen as the dotty old chicken whisperer! He asked if he could feed them and I gave him some feed to sprinkle on the ground as I let them out of their night time run. He then put the mic next to them and asked them to talk to him, which they didn't. I told him that they were well bought up chickens and were taught not speak with their mouths full.! Did I really say that?! I did explain the chickens DO make several different sounds which can be interpreted by us but that it was unlike;y to work the other way round, other than as a Pavlov's reaction ( i.e me shouting chick chick chick as I feed them means that they associate that sound with being fed.) I have been interviewed on the TV/radio several times for various reasons but this was the most bizarre.
Tonight we are hosting a meeting of the great and the good about how to fund the reinstatement of the canal through a envelopment site I shall make some biscuits and get out the home made wine and we will see how it goes. I have to assemble and print out the agendas yet and a quick dust and vacuum wont go amiss!
The last week has been very busy but when I leave it several days between posting I lose the momentum to write about it as it is finished and done with. Suffice to say I haven't been bored!
I'm feeling rather mortal at the moment, so many of our contemporaries are seriously/terminally ill, Last week a neighbour called round to say could I help her with a friend of mine who is also a neighbour. When I got there I found that she was at the stop of her stairs and had been dead for some time. She had been fighting cancer for sometime, but we did not expect her to die so suddenly. I feel so sad that she died alone.
I have quite a bit more to write but some friends have just arrived so will sign off for now
Before I go a warm Derbyshire welcome to
Cafe with kids, Katie Walters, Helen Egg, Rebecca Pick. on Blog lovin and L Efting on the follower bar .
Back Soon
Gillx
I now no longer have any chickens (thanks to my neighbour's 3 dogs) but I always used to speak to them, and they used to speak to me. My Marans were the chattiest.
ReplyDeleteThe reported approached the interview as a sort of joke, but went away with some understanding of the different sounds that hens make and our understanding of what they mean.I'll have to see if my marans are the chattiest, though the legbars have plenty to say!
DeleteSo good to hear you are keeping busy!
ReplyDeleteIt must have been a horrible shock to find your neighbour like that and sad too.
You're not exactly getting your feet up are you?! I see you had to get growing (it's in the blood I reckon)
DeleteI was ready for how I found her as a neighbour and myself were suspicious that all was not well. It is awfully sad that she died alone, but as she was ignoring our calls I suspect it was her choice
Luckily shocks like that are few and far between.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, though it isn't the first time !
DeleteHow sad to go alone, and sad as well to find her like that.
ReplyDeleteChicken talk? How very odd.
Welcome Annie. Good to see you here!
DeleteI agree it is sad to go alone, though I do wonder if she planned it that way.
Chickens do have several different sounds that they make, indicating, fear, broodiness, baby-chick talk etc.
Oh Gill, that was great about the chickens and the radio guy! I guess when one isn't accustomed to real farm critters it's a logical question, but I'd have been cautious about the answer too!
ReplyDeleteHi Gill, I was nominated for a Liebster Blog award so I also get to nominate 5 blogs for the award too. I really love your blog because I spent so much time in Derbyshire when I was growing up, it reminds me of home, so I nominated you. If you would like to take part, the details are over on my blog. Kind Regards Kay x
ReplyDelete