It was way back in the summer when our friends Sue and Rolf asked us to adopt their chickens, ducks and goose as they were moving. Mal was super enthusiastic and I said yes as they seemed doomed to an uncertain future. We used to have chickens when we first came to Spain but that ended badly when a Lynx took them all. A plan was hatched to build a lynx proof, fox proof, sparrow proof, mouse proof enclosure. (I think that about covers it) and I started designing it.

The last time we single handedly revived the flagging sparrow population of Southern Spain due to an enclosure that allowed the tiny birds to get in under the corrugated roof and eat sacks of corn at an alarming rate. The chickens didn’t get a look in. This will change !!!

The outside space was also not covered which meant the birds were open to predators.

First we thought of using the old chicken house and before Christmas Andy safely dropped the old sagging, about to collapse, roof and while Kev was here he removed all the rubble so it was clear. Once we saw the size of it we realised it was too big for four birds. I also worried that it, and the outside enclosure were too close to the road and also to next door. It was decided it would be better as a woodworking room for me so I began to look round for somewhere else for the birds.

By now Sue had managed to get a new friend for the goose, Floris, We thought it was better for her to settle them while she still had them. As it happened something was lost in translation when she went to collect the new goose as there were two, not one so now there is Boris and Doris to keep Floris company. There are two ducks, a Mallard called Bitsy and an Aylesbury called Donald who is older and actually a she !!

The one chicken, Blondie, was then added to at our request by three more chickens so we should get enough eggs. Now that makes 9 birds.

The old pool area seemed more promising than the top area of garden as the pool has been abandoned as it leaked uncontrollably. I designed a Palace and Moat, whoops, chicken house, duck and goose shed and a pond. This changed to two ponds once it became apparent the two new geese were bullies and had taken possession of Sue’s pond and wouldn’t let the others in. I redrew the plans for the umpteenth time and each time added another small touch as it was clear three different species each needed their own tailor made space. Ducks and geese produce condensation when they sleep but chickens need it dry and draught free. The ducks wouldn’t share with the geese and I  then read that geese naturally sleep on the water as they feel safe from predators so maybe they didn’t need a house at all. 

The big thing about this aviary was the birds would be free to come in and out without the need for anyone to open up and at night shut them in. The whole area would be safe for them.

This was all very well but it was becoming a complicated and massive task although it has to be said I never do anything remotely easy, it’s not in my nature. Luckily Kev took pity on us and came for a week before Christmas and with his help and Tom and Marcus and then Rach and Kev, not to forget Beth who brought us a good supply of tea whilst looking after Connor and Xander.

Over the weeks since, the whole thing has begun to take shape. There are now only three weeks to go till a potential arrival of the birds and lots still to do. Kevin has booked to come back for another week and we hope to get it finished on time. We are to say the least, exhausted but need to push on, but it’s winter. Freezing weather where we had no water to mix cement has now been followed by incredibly windy weather which is whipping up the sand and soil and slowing the whole thing down somewhat.

Each day we do a little more but there are just some days when you really wish you hadn’t bothered to have got out of bed at all.

This particular morning was one of them and certainly did not go as planned and I was getting crosser by the minute. I started work inside the chicken house and Mal, without me noticing, firstly moves all the carefully measured perimeter blocks without leaving markers, that’s two wasted days and will now have to be remeasured before we can move forwards. He was supposed to be removing the weed mat underneath the blocks so we can put them in properly as they will hold the frame to support the mesh lid for the aviary. I was working on the nest boxes inside and all of a sudden I notice the doors which are only propped under a clamped steel frame work are moving. All three of them shifting in front of my eyes. I go to rescue one as it bangs open and there is Mal undoing clamps and moving steel....... I have absolutely no idea why he thought it was a good idea but it becomes a plate spinning act where you rush from one door to the next to try and prevent it not only falling over but bringing the walls down as well as they are not yet above door height.  It takes hours to fasten everything down with me shrieking and generally jumping up and down. Mal seems unconcerned but we are fighting 3 doors in different places and only two of us to hold them and the gale force winds. It is what I can only describe as sabotage. 

Before a murder is committed I suggest coffee and lunch after which I calm down a little and Mal’s eyes are closing. I  see a brief period of working without interruption so get up quietly and creep back down to get on whilst leaving Mal asleep........

I start by re measuring the outer enclosure for the umpteenth time and pegging out the blocks. Then I go back to what I was doing before Mal started rearranging the whole caboodle.

I don’t get very far before I notice movement out of the corner of my eye.

Shock, horror, Mal appears, he’s woken up. Ready to launch in any and every direction.......

Back to a few days ago when Mal said ( in his usual bedtime tactic to ensure I am wide awake and ready to fall asleep........not ) ‘the next thing I want to do is cement under the demountable.’ I ask why on earth he would want to do that and get a lecture. My eyes are closing, briefly......

I said we should concentrate on finishing the inside of the enclosure as time is getting short and we could come back to outside once everything else inside is ready for the birds. A heated debate follows and in the end he agrees and goes to bed leaving me as usual wide awake.....

Fast forward to this afternoon and Mal now wheels out his mixer and starts trying to pinch any sand and cement I have ready to mix.

‘What are you doing now?’ I ask in the most exasperated voice I can manage. 

‘I’m mixing concrete to lay under the demountable’ he says, ‘why??’ I ask, knowing full well I should have kept my mouth shut. I really didn’t want to hear the long winded answer which was a rehash of what he said the other evening.

‘Whatever’ I mutter, raising my eyes to heaven..........it has no effect.

 I go back to my building except the brick cutter is not working, I follow the lead to the end and find it’s unplugged, I see the extension lead has vanished. Someone !! has pinched the extension lead and is now using it to run his mixer, I glare in his direction and ask where the lead has gone. I can see where it is but I still feel I have to ask. He says helpfully ‘You can bring the brick cutter over here and plug it in.’  Now I am looking at a 5 minute walk with each brick and my wall has a 45 degree bend in it so every brick needs cutting. I now notice he also has possession of the hose as well so I end up sitting on my bags of cement and sand before they vanish too, I am muttering, (it’s the bit before I am declared totally insane.) It’s more like chickadilly circus here, all I need is a couple of clowns.............. I give up.

The Jack Russell is in full swing and I am stuck with using either the brick cutter or the cement mixer but not both. The chicken house grinds to a halt, again,  but hey, at least we have the start of a concrete base under the demountable....... whoopy do.........