A good day for chickens

Friday 9th November 2013

Today was the Orkney Cage Bird show in Kirkwall.

 Now I know that the pedantic ones among you will consider that chickens are not what we would normally consider to be cage birds.

 They are however, I am sure you will agree, birds. They are also, as you can see from the photos, in cages.

 I rest my case.

 The cage bird show in fact has cage birds, pigeons, poultry , rabbits and cavies. 

 Andalusian Hen 1st Light Hen

                       

                                         Andalusian Cock 1st Light Cock
The poultry section is in fact very good and well supported as it is the only show that we have outside show week in August.

We took eight chickens in and seven of them got tickets. As usual we did not necessarily agree with the judge, especially about the one that did not get a ticket but generally it was not bad and I was very pleased with my Andalusian hen.

The Orpington cock and hen both got second places in the heavy cock and heavy hen classes. The hen that was first in the heavy hen class was a very good White Wyandotte and there was no disgrace being second to it.

 My opinion of the bird that won the heavy cock class is probably best left unsaid in case it sound like sour grapes.





            Black Orpington Hen

Light Sussex Cock
 I was hoping that both the Sussex cock and hen may have done better but "Hey-Ho" you can't win them all.


Light Sussex Hen



They had both picked up a bit of staining from the sawdust on the cage floor since they were put in last night and maybe this didn't help them much. (Note to self, "Use my own softwood shavings next time".)    
                                                                                         
                                                                                         
                                                                                         
                                                                                       
                                                                                         
                 Blue Cochin Cock

The Cochin cock was third in the Heavy Cock class but I still think that he is a really good bird and the Cochins are Pam's favourites so we will persist with him.
 The Cochin hen was the only bird that we took that did not get a ticket, so maybe it was just that the judge did not like Cochins.

All in all, not a bad day.
The show is on until tomorrow evening so I will have to go back and pick them all up then and get them put away before it goes dark.

Noisy and not so noisy invasions of Burray.

Once a year the population of Burray doubles. There must be more people riding in the annual beach race the other week than are normally here the rest of the year.

Good and exciting though. Loads of spills but very rarely anybody hurt so all good fun. I think that the kids races are perhaps more exciting. Even the very tiny ones just go hell for leather and don't seem to mind coming off all over the place but they do not look as dramatic on a video.

 We have also had an invasion of waxwings, a beautiful little bird from scandinavia. I saw a flock of about 30 yesterday but was driving so no photos yet. I shall go out today armed with the camera and see if I can get some photos of them to delight you with so keep checking.