Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[WitchHazel]

What a shame!

 

The Chicken Roundabout has suffered recently with someone attacking the chickens, and so the Chicken Man has been trying to rehome the chickens from there. He has put out an appeal for people NOT to leave any more chickens, as they won't be cared for.

 

http://www.chickenroundabout.co.uk/

 

What a shame!

 

By the way, I can thoroughly recommend the book - I bought it a couple of years ago, and it was a really good read. I spoke to the author, and he explained that the book is based on actual events, which made it even more enjoyable

 

EDITED TO ADD: I've added an update later in this thread, 23 December

Edited December 23, 2010 by Guest

[mostin]

That is so sad , the end of an era

[The Dogmother]

Oh no! I am devastated, we always go and visit when we're in Norfolk.

 

Thanks for letting me know WH.

 

Cock roundabout will go down in the history books.

[moochoo]

Very sad news. It's one of Norfolks' landmarks. I wonder if anyone will step up to protect it?

[WitchHazel]

Very sad news. It's one of Norfolks' landmarks. I wonder if anyone will step up to protect it?

 

Because its yobs attacking chickens, I don't think there is anything anyone can sensibly do - that's why the CHicken Man (whi has been wheelbarrowing feed to the chooks every day for years) has been rehoming the existing chooks and asking people not to abandon any more there).

 

EDITED TO ADD:

Details in tbis article - ot starts off about the Chicken Man retiring, but explains a bit further on what has been happening to the poor chooks http://www.becclesandbungayjournal.co.uk/news/chickenman_to_retire_1_556378

[The Dogmother]

Can they rig up CCTV cameras to see who is doing this?

 

There are times when I much prefer animals to humans!

[percy049]

:'(

[Sam]

Sorry to sound stupid, but what on earth is a chicken roundabout?! I clicked the link but don't really understand it. Are they 'wild' chickens living there or are they someones pets... living on a roundabout?!

[percy049]

i think about 50 years ago someone abandoned a few chickens there, and they just multiplied, along with other people abonding chickens there! it is a famous landmark in norfolk

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How sad .

 

Even I have seen the Chicken Roundabout . I made OH go that way when we were visiting my brother & sister . (It was actually en route, not a detour from Scotland!)

[WitchHazel]

Sorry to sound stupid, but what on earth is a chicken roundabout?! I clicked the link but don't really understand it. Are they 'wild' chickens living there or are they someones pets... living on a roundabout?!

 

For the past umpteen years there has been a colony of "wild" chickens living on a roundabout there. Originally, it is believed, they escaped from a neighbouring allotment. Since then, people have dumped cockerels there, and the colony grew and grew. It survived various attempts to exterminate the chooks, plus the building of the roundabout.

 

It became "famous" because of the number of chooks that occupied the roundabout during the day. They roosted in the nearby trees at night. As it's fame spread, more chickens were left there.

 

A local man, Gordon Knowles, started feeding the chooks one day, when he saw how they leapt ojn a bagof corn which had fallen off a lorry going round the roundabout. He's been feeding them every day for the last 20 (or so) years.

 

nother local man wrote a book about the story - based on real people and real events (including the couple who campaigned to have the birds removed) - and that's available from the chickenroundabout website.

 

It's on the main road near Bungay/Ditchingam.

 

Over the past year or so, birds have been disappearing - stolen to be sold or eaten. And then they started finding evidence of birds being cruelly abused. As a result, Mr Knowles ("The CHicken Man") attempted to get all the remaining birds rehomed, and in July he appealed for people to stop leaving birds there, as they wouldn't be looked after now.

 

I;m sure I've missed bits, and people who know the story better will be along to fill the gaps/correct my account.

[The Dogmother]

They are all mostly abandoned cockerels; it can get very noisy.

[Sam]

That sounds really nice! Would have loved to have seen it. I can imagine that being the case though, I doubt many people really know what to do/ how to get rid of cockerels they hatch. Such a shame good things like this can't last.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I looked at the photos on the website, I think I only saw 1 or 2 hens, all the rest were cockerels. Felt rather sorry for the poor hens though who must get quite a lot of 'attention'

What a shame that people can't just leave the animals be, why do they feel the need to kill or injure them?

[chickiepiggies]

OMG i never knew about this i would have definitely of visited....poor chickens why do some people do these things

[Florence]

Oh no that is awful ,I did notice when I last drove through there that there didn't seem to be any around but I put it down to the cold.It did seem to be getting out of hand at one point but I loved seeing the chucks on my way to Norwich

[WitchHazel]

When I was searching for more information, I discovered that there is a CD of Tony Knowles ("The Chicken Man" recorded by chap called Nicholas Jenkins, who was capturing Suffolk Voices.

 

I managed to get a copy direct from NIcholas. The reminiscences from Tony are very interesting (if you like that sort of thing, of course); as well as a bit at the beginning, there are two "tracks" covering about 12 minutes which are all about the Chicken Roundabout.

 

I got it direct from the chap who did the recording. A clip of Tony talking about the chickens is available on this page (near the bottom) http://www.soundingboardproductions.co.uk/suffolkvoices.shtml

 

Hazel

[Janty]

We used to take a bag of corn with us for the cockerels when we went for feed at Ellingham but can't any more as they have all gone.

[Wolfie]

English eccentricity at it's best! But of course ruined by thugs ..... umm .....