Pet Page | Young eggsperts

Don’t worry, they are all named with reason and purpose.

“We have this book from when we were little kids called Banjo and Ruby Red, and at that time we had a kelpie called Banjo and that was the type of dog in the book,” Patrick, 9, said.

“Ruby Red in the book was a chicken, so I just thought of that.”

Princess received her name in a more roundabout way.

“I spent a lot of time on just finding a name that I liked and I just thought of the name Princess because she looks very fancy,” Millie, 10, said.

Lastly, there’s Mildred, whose name is the product of a father’s endless attempts to annoy his children.

According to Millie, their father, Jeremy Holgate, chose the name simply because it sounded silly.

The three lovely ladies are recent editions to the family, nesting in their backyard since February.

Like most pets, they’ve come with challenges, but Millie and Patrick are certified ‘eggsperts’.

“Lately they’ve been jumping over the pool fence and getting into places they shouldn’t,” Millie said.

“We clipped their wings once and we need to do that again soon.”

Despite the birds being not-so-average pets, the Holgates highly recommend them.

“Chickens are good, and if you like eggs you really should get them,” Patrick said.