I wondered this afternoon if it had been opportune to take one of Jamie - he came as close as he could to annihilation this afternoon! One Cockerel against three dogs don't go. His own fault - he jumped the gate, even after me wiring it up with various bits of string and garden wire
At one point all three of them had a bit of him. Fortunately all three have soft mouths and with numerous yells of 'LEAVE' catching collars and throwing the girls in their runs, I cut it down to one - Allez. And was he going to give up - not bloomin likely
- He chased poor Jamie right across the stream to the edge of the railway line and a train was coming past right then. Picture it - Allez in the stream barking at Jamie, me on the bank yelling at the pitch at Allez, a heavy coal train thundering past, Jamie looking up at the railway fence wondering if he could jump that high. Then he decided to leap into the stream down river of Al, in the meantime I had donned my wellies and got a lead from the hall, came back out to find Allez on the opposite bank beside the bridge (which is pretty rotten and I wasn't sure if it would hold my weight)pinning Jamie to the floor. My heart sank - I thought he had pegged him. Dashed across the bridge yelling still, slung the lead round Allez and grabbed my poor bird, who was bleeding from his comb - not a great deal but enough for it to trickle down his beautiful white mane. Sudden dread filled me - I had to cross that bridge again, dog lead in one hand, blooming heavy bleeding cockerel under the other arm. I shut my eyes and went for it. It's only four feet above a trickle of water but it seemed a forever moment! Anyway, dropped the cockerel in his run, fighting off hundreds of hens desperate to get in on the action (well maybe 9), put Allez in his run and went for a coffee to relax with. Came back out and that damned cockerel is back out in the garden strutting around like nothing had happened
minus about half of his duvet though!