Cockadoodle...urk!!!

Bubs and I took our places either side of the stable door to let the Dorking hen's and their Cockerel out as we do every morning. I always open the top door first so that they can fly up and sit on the door to view the cobbled courtyard and decide exactly where they would like to place themselves. Each hen gets a round of applause from the pair of us as they take flight and land, a very good way of teaching clapping in it's true context!

We played out our normal scenario and watched as all three hens flew up and then down. We stood and waited for Maestro to make his grand appearance but it never came. I peaked over the top of the door to find an empty stable and no Maestro at all.

Confused, I looked around the stable yard and then saw the feathers. The trail led off through the large iron gates, across the driveway and up the bank towards the road. I followed the feathery path and it disintegrated into leafy woodland with no further evidence of Maestro at all.

I returned to the stable yard to find Burt looking rather pleased with himself. He had already filled Maestro's shoes and was frantically clucking to the girls over the old lettuce I had scattered about for them. It's a trait, I've noticed, that all Cockerel's have. They will inform their ladies of any food or tasty bugs they've found and will wait for them to tuck in before they finish the leftovers.

Burt was the next one in line for the pot but due to Maestro's demise, he has now secured his place at the farm. Looks like the best cockerel won!