POULTRY AUCTION

I went to a poultry auction this morning with my daughter in law, Helen, and Sue, her friend, who keeps her horse at Helen's stables. They were looking for a couple (or more) ducks to live there along with the resident chickens.

It wasn't a very big auction but enough people had gathered to bid for the birds.These geese (above) certainly made enough noise!

I wonder if these are Aylesbury ducks because they have orange bills?

These chickens were, I think, the only ones that were in cages like this. Most of them were in wooden crates, which were divided into two sections with different breeds of chickens in each, kept in by wire laid across the top, like these below.

Sue had spotted some ducks she fancied - Indian Runners - but other people were also interested and she and Helen decided to stop bidding for them once their top price had been reached, so, despite picking the brains of other prospective buyers there were no ducks bought today by 'us'. Sue is on the left, in grey, and Helen's in navy, with her back to the camera. The man asked why they wanted female ducks - males don't lay eggs.......

On the way back to the car I spotted this wheel cover. I had seen it several weeks ago at Tetsworth when I'd left the camera at home but this time I made sure I photo'd it. It's one of a series of gypsy paintings which you can see on John Twinks web site - not cheap at £115.

If you like piebald horses with plenty of feathers on their feet I think you'd enjoy his paintings.