..Or playing hide and seek
THERE'S lots of comings and goings on my smallholding, such is the nature of the farming business and the tally at the moment is still heavily weighted in my favour despite the best efforts of the local fox and badger population.
However he-who-should-be-obeyed-but-rarely-is has been trying to stamp his authority by banning the purchase of anything with a pulse until 2014 arrives and normally I would agree but this wonderful opportunity came my way just the other day to buy some peafowl.
I'd already bought two Indian peafowl - Victoria and Albert - and sneaked them in to the hen pen hoping he wouldn't notice; and we got away with it for a few weeks after he gave up trying to collect eggs from my beloved Scots Dumpys who seem confused by the concept of laying an egg.
Even when Albert made a dreadful echoing honking sound and some death curdling screams, hubby just thought our cockerel Napoleon was over-reaching himself in the cock-a-doodle-do stakes.
Then he nearly blew a gasket when he spotted Albert parading around showing off his magnificent array of feathers and there's no mistaking a peacock so I had to 'fess up to the purchase. I was going to feign shock and declare: "How did that get there?" and instead I opted for: "Oh those old things, they've been there for ages. Didn't I mention them before?" And as I attempted to blag my way through a breeding programme I was developing for the birds next year hubby walked away shaking his head in dismay ... the man can smell cabbage boiling in Manchester so he wasn't going to hang around an listen to anymore BS.
Thankfully he's not one to hold a grudge and since we're embroiled in the middle of renovations, builders and bricks he has had more important things to think about.
However, as I was saying, an opportunity presented itself the other week when I had the chance to buy three white peacocks and so I snuck out on an errand returning at night with the birds.
They've been living in the stable with the other peafowl and the turkeys because it's warm, out of the way of rotten weather and prying eyes! They will also take around six weeks to settle before I can let them out.
Now in the meantime I have several dilemmas ... the first is what to say to hubby if he does happen upon this stunning trio, secondly how do I ensure they don't cross breed with the other peafowl and finally what names should I give to them? There are two peahens and one peacock so any suggestions would be most welcome.
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VICTORIA & ALBERT: Trying to keep a low profile
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I'd already bought two Indian peafowl - Victoria and Albert - and sneaked them in to the hen pen hoping he wouldn't notice; and we got away with it for a few weeks after he gave up trying to collect eggs from my beloved Scots Dumpys who seem confused by the concept of laying an egg.
Even when Albert made a dreadful echoing honking sound and some death curdling screams, hubby just thought our cockerel Napoleon was over-reaching himself in the cock-a-doodle-do stakes.
Then he nearly blew a gasket when he spotted Albert parading around showing off his magnificent array of feathers and there's no mistaking a peacock so I had to 'fess up to the purchase. I was going to feign shock and declare: "How did that get there?" and instead I opted for: "Oh those old things, they've been there for ages. Didn't I mention them before?" And as I attempted to blag my way through a breeding programme I was developing for the birds next year hubby walked away shaking his head in dismay ... the man can smell cabbage boiling in Manchester so he wasn't going to hang around an listen to anymore BS.
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| IT'LL BE ALL WHITE ... playing a game of hide and seek |
However, as I was saying, an opportunity presented itself the other week when I had the chance to buy three white peacocks and so I snuck out on an errand returning at night with the birds.
They've been living in the stable with the other peafowl and the turkeys because it's warm, out of the way of rotten weather and prying eyes! They will also take around six weeks to settle before I can let them out.
Now in the meantime I have several dilemmas ... the first is what to say to hubby if he does happen upon this stunning trio, secondly how do I ensure they don't cross breed with the other peafowl and finally what names should I give to them? There are two peahens and one peacock so any suggestions would be most welcome.
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