MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF FEEDING MUM’S HENS AND OTHER ANIMALS

It was the end of August and Mum was away for a long weekend, so I had agreed to feed the hens, rabbit and guinea pig.

Thus it was I took my self off with Fenn my 15 month old son walking with me and pushing his toy along the path from my home at the other end of the village in the sunshine.

As I opened the gate from the garden into the hen compound, they all crowded around me waiting for their food and Fenn who was so excited, managed to chase out all 8 hens into Mum’s garden. To get them back into their area I put their food of mashed pellets, oats and scraps into their trays, then into the shed to grab a jar of corn to shake and encourage them back in.  As I did so I noticed Fenn busily eating the hen food. I removed Fenn from said food and filled up the water drinker. As I collected the eggs from the nesting box, I found that Fenn had tipped over the drinker which I then refilled and continued to collect the eggs, at which time Fenn chose to tip up the drinker again, create a huge and very muddy puddle into which he promptly fell, splat! Once I cleaned him up, I re-filled the hen drinker for the third time, moving both of us into the coop where the hutch is situated for the rabbit and Frankie the Guinea Pig.  As I placed vegetable scraps and carrot into the hutch for the furry animals I gave Fenn a piece of raw carrot and went to check their water bottle. As I turned back I caught Fenn, who had crawled right into the hutch busily eating bits of carrots and throwing out all the rest of the vegetables that I had carefully placed for Frankie who incidentally was cowering in the corner unable to comprehend what this huge bulk was in his house removing all the food he had just been given.  Clearly Fenn thought carrot was too good for the likes of a rabbit and guinea pig.

Having finally managed to extricate Fenn from the hutch, grabbed the eggs ensuring they were safely out of Fenn’s reach, we began to make our way back up Mum’s garden when I heard a hissing noise further down the garden which I thought I should investigate.  I noticed the connector on the hose to water the plants had come apart, so immediately set about reconnecting the hose. As I attempted this task the water pressure created a jet which drenched both Fenn and myself, each time I attempted to join the hose together the pressure of the water forced the connecters apart and created this jet of freezing cold water that drenched us every time. Fenn found this hilarious and kept getting in between me and the hose for further drenchings. So it was several attempts and wettings later that I finally managed to secure the hose back together and wearily ‘dripped’ our way back up the garden onto the path to make our way back home. However by this time Fenn was tired, and wished to be carried.  As we made our way back up the village with me carrying both Fenn and his walker toy, the sun had disappeared and the heavens just opened, yes we had a further even heavier drenching requiring us both to be dried and changed upon arrival at the cottage.

What should have taken me approximately 10 minutes in the sunshine, actually took around 1 hour and several drenchings later, the upside to this story is that Fenn no longer cries when he has a shower!!

Even so I am not sure I will be so ready to volunteer my services in the future!

Kirsty