The Chicken Run
Featured in Rural Around the Globe in October 2009
Featured in People and Portraiture Photography in November 2009 – thank you
My lovely neighbour Liz, whom you all met from the wedding images I’d posted some time back, works at Wellgate Community Farm
A few weeks ago Liz came home late … cold, hungry & tired … she’d been called back to the farm ‘cause the new addition had been delivered … a little calf called Jacob
I decided it’s time I headed out to the farm & had a little look at what a city farm looks like and how it functions and how it serves the community etc etc …
All in all a very interesting experience for me … I used to do farming insurance whilst living in South Africa … went to the Royal Agricultural show every year, listened to talks about cattle, and sheep and milk and meat, weather and grain, drought and rain … I’ve walked across maize fields hammered and destroyed by hail … walked through abattoirs … been given 10kg bags of potatoes to take home or some eggs or milk or fresh chicken …
My visit to the community farm was a whole new experience … where animals have names and chickens get powdered every six weeks to get rid of the fleas or mite or whatever they get …
Kids walk about in gumboots helping with the chores, learning that milk does not come out of a carton in the big fridge at Tesco’s but actually from a cow … that honey is made by bees and bees collect pollen and … etc etc …
I thoroughly enjoyed morning at the farm … I shall certainly return, camera in hand, for the next function there, when the next lot of babies are born, or simply when the weather is a touch friendlier than today :)
I had a blast with some of these shots & shall share some here … More can be viewed in the gallery I’m compiling here
17 October 2009
Wellgate Community Farm, Collier Row Road, Collier Row, Romford, RM5 2BH
Canon EOS 450D 28-135mm lens

The Chicken Run belongs to the following groups:
! 100% !, canon 450D/XSI, Childhood, European Everyday Life (add the place!), Everyday Life, For the love of Canon - 2 Images per day with type of Canon camera used, Friends of Bangor and North Down Camera Club, Northern Ireland, ImageWriting (2/24), JPG Cast-Offs, People and Portraiture Photography, Rural Around The Globe, The Addicted Photographer►2 Per Day◄, The Human Condition, THE SISTERHOOD, The Woman Photographer **7 Submissions a week only please**, The World, United Kingdom, Who are YOU to Judge?, You're Accepted and à EUROPA!
imagic
Great shot Bettina, perfect light, perfect focus, well composed, well done.
Greetings
Jens.
BettinaSchwarz replied
wow Jens … that is a very generous comment … and I appreciate it so very much !!! Thank you! :)
Mark Tull
Heading for the chopping block?...
cockle-doodle-don’t
BettinaSchwarz replied
naw … they’d just been captured in the hock, powdered (the flea / mite / whatever stuff) and those that had been treated were carried over to a different pen …
upside down by the legs … no resistance ;)
Ever stuck a chicken’s head under it’s wing? – it goes “to sleep” instantly … weird things, chickens …
and they sheep are dumb … !
BettinaSchwarz replied
say*
Jan Timmons
Intriguing shot, with remarkable colours and any number of stories that could go with it. Your text fascinated me. This is a great composition!
BettinaSchwarz replied
Jan, thank you so much for taking the time to look and read and leave me such a wonderful note – I appreciate it very much indeed!
DonDavisUK
A great capture Bettina, love the rainbow wellies:-)
BettinaSchwarz replied
loved the rainbow wellies … and love that child’s hair … then the red shirt sticking out … and those upside down chickens … yeah … I just had to get that shot :) ... her mum seemed a touch startled that I was off after her daughter & taking photos, but Liz kindly explained … and a shot where no face is shown … well that’s ok :) ...
tried SC on this, but didn’t make it a better shot in any way … so this the end result :)
thank you for your lovely comment Don :)
DonDavisUK
Wonderful candid Bettina, what a photo opp you had:-) Don.
BettinaSchwarz replied
:)) thank you Don, for your encouragement :)
clickinhistory
well I hope mum is happy with this shot and so sad that is the state of the world right now, delightful shot Tina
BigD
David Silsbury
Great image, well done and congratulations on being featured.
kappisan
This is just A Super-Great-Shot!:)
Love it!:)
Big Fav!:)
(i’ve got chicken too,and ,in a household of 4 Men(!),i’m the only one who dares to “handle”them! :)
(mind you,as a Vegetarian i don’t have to slaughter them…!;p )
John44 26 days ago
Mooi gedoen tina
Zo een kleine een met grote kippen :-)
Groet
John