Documentaries Prògraman Aithriseachd

[Sweeny] An t-seachdain-sa chaidh fhuair na cearcan ùr’ agam taigh caran makeshift nuair a thill mi à tìr-mòr leotha. Cha robh an taigh-chearc buileach deiseil ach a-nis tha cùisean air atharrachadh gu mòr agus tha coltas gu math cofhurtail orra. Carson nach biodh? Tha iad ann an Nis!

[Sweeny] ’S e latha mòr a tha seo. Tha mi a’ feitheamh fear an-dràsta bhon riaghaltas a tha a’ tighinn a thoirt sùil air an taigh-chearc, na cearcan,’s an spiris, far a bheil am bùrn, am biadh, na neadan agus an egg packing station ’s tha e a’ dol a thoirt sùil air a h-uile càil a tha sin agus tha mi an dòchas gum passaig mi. So fhathast tràth ann an cùisean ach tha dìreach rud beag no dhà agam ri dhèanamh a-staigh ann an seo dìreach gu bhith deiseil. Bha mi trang. ’S e Diluain a th’ ann an-diugh ’s bha mi trang fad an latha Disathairne a’ feuchainn ris a’ mhòr-chuid de rudan fhaighinn deiseil ’s dìreach rud no dhà ann a-nis.

[Sweeny] Feumaidh mi dìreach crìoch a chur air an nest box a tha sin aig a’ chùl. Chì sibh gu bheil an spiris aig an fhear eile. Chan eil air an fhear ud shuas, dìreach gu bheil cothrom aig na cearcan sgèith suas ’s a dhol a-steach dhan nead.

[Sweeny] ’S iad a’ dol cho sàmhach nuair a nì thu fuaim.

[Fear-camara] Ciamar a bha fhios agad air an sin?

[Sweeny] Uill a’ chiad turas a thàinig mi a-steach ’s thòisich mi a’ bruidhinn. Seall, seall nuair a sheallas tusa riutha. A h-uile tè aca a’ togail an cinn. So a’ chiad turas a thàinig mise a-steach dhan taigh-chearc ’s na cearcan a-staigh ann ’s rinn mi fuaim air choreigin. Son tha thu a’ fàs cleachdte ris an fhuaim, ach an uair sin nuair a nì thusa fuaim ’s a stadas iad tha thu a’ mothachadh just cho sàmhach ’s a tha e. So ’s e, sin am party trick a bhios agam – the chicken whisperer.

[Sweeny] Tha smachd aig an riaghaltas air duine sam bith a tha a’ cumail barrachd air leth-cheud cearc no a tha airson na h-uighean a reic tro bhùithtean. Mar sin, ma tha mise gu bhith a’ reic uighean aig na bùithtean feumaidh cead a bhith agam bhon riaghaltas. Tha an lagh ag ràdh gum feum na cearcan an cumail ann an àite freagarrach dhaibh agus gu bheil biadh ’s bùrn aca fad na h-ùine. Feumaidh an t-àite a bhith air a chumail glan agus feumaidh gu leòr spirisean agus neadan a bhith ann dhaibh.

[Sweeny] Aidh so ’s e roll away nest boxes a tha seo so chì sibh na inserts a tha seo, am plastaig a tha seo. Tha a’ chearc a’ dol a-steach, seo an idea co-dhiu, tha a’ chearc a’ dol a-steach, a’ breith, agus tha an t-ugh... seall mar a tha sin flat mar sin, chì thu gu bheil seo, gu bheil rùm an seo so tha an t-ugh a’ roiligeadh a-mach agus tha cages air a’ chùl. So sin an idea. Chan eil mi ag iarraidh gum bi na h-uighean a’ suidhe bho Disathairne gu Diluain le cearc a’ suidh orra, ’s dòcha gum bi cearc a’ fuireach ann. Chan eil mi ag iarraidh sin so na tha seo a’ ciallachadh gum faod mi, ma dh’fheumas mi ’s mur eil duine ann a chumas sùil orra, gum faod na h-uighean a bhith air am fàgail anns na cèidsichean ’s tha fios ’m gum bi iad ceart gu leòr.

[Sweeny] So seo an rud mu dheireadh a th’ agam ri dhèanamh. Nuair a bhios seo dèante, good to go.

[Sweeny] Tha e feumail eòlas a bhith agad air a h-uile obair ma tha lot agad.

[Sweeny] Tha mi a-nis a’ dol a cheannach chaorach,my first love.

Chaidh am prògram seo, An Lot, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015. Le taing do MacTV.

[Sweeny] Last week my new hens got a sort of makeshift home when I returned from the mainland with them. The henhouse wasn’t quite ready but now things have really changed and they seem very comfortable. Why wouldn’t they be? They’re in Ness!

[Sweeny] This is a big day. I’m currently waiting on a man from the government who is coming to take a look at the henhouse, the hens, the roosts, where the water is, the food, the nests and the egg packing station and he’s going to look at all of that and I hope that I’ll pass. So still early stages but I’ve just one or two wee things to do in here so that I’m ready. I was busy. Today is Monday and I was busy all day Saturday trying to get the majority of things ready and there’s just one or two things now.

[Sweeny] I must just finish that nest box at the back. You’ll see that the other one has a roost. Not on that upper one, just so that the hens have a chance to fly up and go into the nest.

[Sweeny] And they go so quiet when you make a noise.

[Cameraman] How do you know that?

[Sweeny] Well the first time that I came in I started speaking. Look, look when you look at them. Each one of them lifts their heads. So the first time that I came into the henhouse whilst the hens were in I made some sort of noise. You get used to the noise, but then when you make a noise and they stop you notice just how quiet it is. So it’s ... that’s my party trick – the chicken whisperer.

[Sweeny] The government controls anyone who keeps more than fifty hens or who wants to sell the eggs through shops. As such, if I’m going to sell eggs in the shops I need permission from the government. The law states that the hens must be kept in a place that is suitable for them and that they have food and water all the time. The place must be kept clean and there must be enough roosts and nests for them.

[Sweeny] Aye so these are roll away nest boxes so you’ll see these inserts, this plastic. The hen goes in, that is the idea anyway, the hen goes in, lays, and the egg ... see how that is flat like that, you’ll see this, that there’s room here so the egg rolls out and there’s cages at the back. So that’s the idea. I don’t want the eggs to be sitting from Saturday to Monday with a hen sitting on them; maybe a hen will stay there. I don’t want that so this means that I can, if I must and if there’s nobody to keep an eye on them, the eggs can be left in the cages and I know that they’ll be alright.

[Sweeny] So this is the last thing that I need to do. When this is done, good to go.

[Sweeny] It’s useful to know about every type of work when you have a croft.

[Sweeny] I’m going to buy sheep, my first love.

This programme, An Lot, was first broadcast in 2015. Courtesy of MacTV