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Don’t make a fool out of me...Valerie!

Ailsa Cranna
26/ 6/2008

FEATHERS were ruffled at Higher Lane Primary School after a newly-hatched chick was named in honour of head Val Eustice.

It seemed the perfect compliment - both were unflappable, leaders of the pack and extremely chirpy.

There was, however, one slight hiccup - Valerie the chick was male, a discovery made fairly late on.

Val (the headteacher) said: "That’s when I tried telling everyone he was named after Valery Borzov, the male Russian athlete with the girl’s name, but I don’t think anyone was convinced.

"They just thought we hadn’t noticed he was not a she - which was absolutely true, we hadn’t.

"However, everybody had remarked on how uncanny the similarities were between us - inability to stop talking, knowing we are always right and being bossy.

"Valerie was the first chick to be born and promptly proceeded to peck all the other eggs to make sure they hatched.

"I like to think that was because of a strong maternal instinct - but then, as we now know, Valerie was more likely being paternal.

"Then, when I was showing parents round the school, I pointed out how the chicks were all sleeping quietly in the incubator.

"It was only when we got close, we realised that four of the chicks were actually cowering in the corner with Valerie standing over them in a threatening manner."

Valerie and the rest of the 30-strong brood of chicks are now living a carefree life on a free-range allotment.

They arrived at the Egerton Road School recently, courtesy of the Living Eggs organisation, which aims to teach youngsters about major food groups.

The children learnt how eggs hatch, wrote stories about their own favourite chicks and watched their daily progress as.

When fully mature the chicks will be be used in egg production on a farm. VALERY Borzov, former athlete