So with the global pandemic in the human world occurring it may have (understandably) passed people by that there is a similar crisis in the avian world. Avian flu has reached UK shores, resulting in a government ordered severe lockdown of all domestic birds. Since the 14th December all the girls have been restricted to their respective runs.
The older girls (Chicken bottoms and Birdy girls) are secured in the new pen, 30m2 of space for four of them, with perches, walkways and mirrors to keep them entertained and new enrichment activities swapped in on a daily basis. (apple bobbing, hanging sprouts, lettuce wreathes this week).
The new girls (the Berry birds) only arrived last Saturday, they are in the old run, 8m2 between three of them. I can’t yet get them to recognise layer pellets as food, never mind add anything enriching for them, at the moment their diet is layer mash and water.
The older girls are screaming blue murder to be let out of their palace grounds, they are used to having an acre to roam in, peck at and explore, trees to climb and piles of leaves to jump in. We basically enact “chicken run” every time I go to see them, and I am definitely cast as the villain of the piece.
The Berry birds are just happy that they have space to move around in, perches to roost on and a regular supply of food and water, the only noises I hear are the occasional egg song and happy cooing when I fill up the feeders.
We all judge our personal situation by comparing it to our expectations, our “norm”. This Christmas will be a far cry from normality for us as a family, indeed, it’s very different to our plans from just a week ago.
We won’t be seeing close family and friends that we always visit around the holidays, our Christmas lunch table will be missing many dearly loved ones. But actually, doesn’t that make us the lucky ones? We have people to miss, our “norm” is filled with love and friendship. Just because we won’t be in the physical presence of those people, doesn’t mean that the love isn’t there.
Please spare a thought for those whose Christmas won’t be different this year, whose day hasn’t been touched by the covid lockdown, whose expectations aren’t of a day filled with love and laughter. This Christmas, take a bit of time to be grateful that you have something to miss.
Chicken Nuggets 