So, you probably all know by now that I have gone from being a city girl in high heeled shoes to a welly-wearing chick with a penchant for chickens.
My friend Annette lives two villages along, we come from the same sort of area in London and she too has a chicken obsession – worse than mine, though I am catching up.
She has the most gorgeous chickens called Golden Sebrights and when I went to see her last week, she had more than the time before since three little ones had just been born. This is quite a coup on her part – they are notoriously difficult to breed.
The Sebright is a breed of chicken named after John Saunders Sebright (1767–1846) who developed them and they are one of the oldest recorded British ‘true’ bantam species (a miniature bird with no corresponding large version).
They are an ornamental breed, not kept for meat production and lay quite small but I’m told delicious eggs.
Annette’s Sebrights live in her courtyard, they’re not much bigger than wood pigeons but woe betides anyone who crosses their path! Yesterday a big old rooster was ambling round the courtyard and Monsieur Sebright had a bit of a David and Goliath moment and chased him all over the place until the much much bigger cockerel exited the yard for the safety of the field next door.
When dusk started to fall over the French country village where Annette lives, the male Sebright and his lady friend took up their positions for the night on the railing outside the front door. They tried to sleep but we were having a barbecue in the courtyard and every time anyone went in through the door they squawked like crazy birds. They must be a fabulous warning system!
I’m sure you probably know what I’m thinking – despite admitting to my chicken addiction I’d really like a few of these colourful, fun birds in my own little courtyard…
A bientôt
Janine
