::)I dont know why, but suddenly I was thinking about how most people who had gardens on the Downham Estate where I lived kept chickens in their garden. My dad used to go "up the lane" and purchase these day old chicks which were kept warm in a box by the side of the fire. A few of them died (and I shed a few tears for them) and as the remaining ones grew they were put in a pen in the garden and eventually we had new laid eggs for breakfast and a fresh chicken for Christmas dinner. Both my grandmothers kept chickens as well (no foxes about then as I can recall).Next door to us they had two turkeys running around the garden (one of them got out and got run over).The remaining turkey made a lovely Christmas dinner for them.
Yes we had chickens. Dad got the chicks from Haircuts, and we had the eggs, and bartered them for other things as well. Then they lost thir heads at Christmas. I remember sitting in the hen hutch talking to the hens, and then letting them out in the garden just as Mum had put them away, she wasn't impressed!
Where we are now we could have chickens, but there are foxes, and as I just love all things furry I couldn't bring myself to hurt the foxes, so we don't have chickens, although the dogs did mention that they would 'take care' of the chickens if we had them.
We go to our local Bakers Delight after they close on Saturdays, and gather up all the leftover bread and take it to a couple of ole peoples homes (Subsidised places, not those grand retirement villages) and if we have any other we give it to Rob across the way for his chickens, and he gives us eggs. I do like the barter systems (don't tell the tax man) we have someone who works in the Golden West Egg factory, and we get large eggs, sometimes three yokers, really cheap, because they cannot sell them. We also know someone who works for Dosonga (Hamms and stuff) and we get cheap ham and bacon in return for Pete doing odd carpentry jobs for them.
