Reports appear in today’s media of what researchers are describing as ‘the chicken from hell’ – a dinosaur with a bony crest on its head and feathers on its arms, the fossilised skeleton of which has been found in the Hell Creek formation in North/South Dakota (they are cagey about the exact location). This is an artist’s impression:
The dinosaur Anzu wyliei . Illustration: Mark Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural History
I can’t help feeling that Aliss is closely related, especially since she has been behaving like the chicken from hell this week.
Black Aliss: our very own chicken from hell
It always happens in the spring – she tries to escape, she spends ages trying to penetrate the vegetable beds and she refuses to co-operate. Yesterday she and Esme managed to find their way into the field behind us. Fortunately, Ifan (the young son of the field’s owners, who has his own flock of Warrens) spotted our two and managed to catch them for us. Some investigation revealed a gap under the fence which I have now blocked. This morning she was in the onion bed… at this rate, she’s going to be in a casserole tomorrow! It’s only her prodigious egg-laying that will save her!!
The Snail of Happiness 
Kate
/ March 20, 2014I have one of those at the moment. Really annoying… I hate re-planting onions!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 20, 2014The shallots are ok, but I think the onions may have had it!
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Kate
/ March 20, 2014Oh no! I hope not. We have lost two over-wintering cabbages and a spinach to ours. Evil chicken…!
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cambridgearomatherapy
/ March 20, 2014One of ours is going to be renamed, “Houdini.”
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 20, 2014There’s always one!
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katechiconi
/ March 20, 2014Why is it, do you think, that chickens with a commodious and well appointed yard of their own will always make for the crack in the door, the gap under the fence or the hole in the wire? Is it some genetic impulse to explore all avenues of escape in case of predator attack? Or are they, as I suspect, just bloody minded? I suggest a slow stroll around the chook yard with a hatchet held casually but meaningfully in your hand….
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 20, 2014I genuinely think they really are bloody minded… if there was nothing to entertain them in their own space, I could understand, but we go out of our way to make it interesting for them!
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davidprosser
/ March 20, 2014I should think Black Aliss might be worried about another witch trial in which she ends up in the pot. She’s sorting out her escape routes, or maybe today she’s finding some accompanying ingredients.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 20, 2014Well, she’s got the onions, but she doesn’t seem to have spotted the sage yet!
xxx
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Nanette
/ March 20, 2014I think I have the chicken from hell too, in fact a couple of them……….Lola, who is a pretty petite little silver spangled Hamburg has taken to crowing at a very unsociable hour. Very loudly and very bloodcurdling. I live in suburbia! The other two hellish chickens are the ones who find their way into garden beds and scratch up the plants. Mine too have a large area to spend the day, then are allowed to free range in the late afternoon. Never satisfied.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 20, 2014Lola sounds like a real character… I bet your neighbours think so too!!
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Granny Maud's Girl
/ March 21, 2014Coincidentally, I was just reading the article about the chicken from hell fossil in The Australian about 5 minutes ago.
My experience is that ducks (and geese) are far more troublesome. I hope Aliss behaves!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 21, 2014Well, that’s rally put me off ever having ducks! I did quite fancy some Indian runners as they are so comical…
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Granny Maud's Girl
/ March 22, 2014To be fair, we only had one really cantankerous duck. Her name was Jane, and I remember her bad behaviour three decades later. Sir Francis and the other ducks were all well behaved.
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metan
/ March 21, 2014I wonder if the problem is that deep inside every chickens mind is that prehistoric chicken from hell demanding to take over…..
Maybe Aliss and Esme are just attempting to rise up against her human oppressors (that would be you) who are keeping her from her rightful position in the world (atop the veg garden, stuffing her beak) 😉
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 21, 2014I think you are probably right!
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arlingwoman
/ March 23, 2014Aliss DOES bear a strong resemblance to CFH, but at least she doesn’t weigh 750 pounds … or have claws on her wings.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 23, 2014Yes, fortunately, she’s quite portable!
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