Insurance for builders

Thank Goodness For Builders Insurance!

We have a family farm and my husband decided it was time to add a second chicken house.

Our first flock had grown significantly and it was time to expand. My youngest son has the job of feeding and corralling them each day. He had help from his dog, Monkey. Together Luke and Monkey would ward off the rooster we call Fang. Using a garbage can lid, a stick and the dog as back up, he would sneak into the hen house every morning to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. The rooster, Fang, made this a challenge because he had a habit of flying claws-first at anything that moved.

The addition weekend arrived, and my husband assembled his hen house building materials in the chicken yard. We had good builders insurance (you can buy UK builders insurance here), because my husband, a skilled carpenter, had done several of our remodels himself. After he had framed up the basics, he began to lay the framework for the roof. His plan was to assemble the poles and uprights, frame the roof, then put the walls on.

This approach required that he be up on a ladder in the chicken yard, with his attention completely focused on his hammering. My son Luke had been off on a camping trip with friends, and was returning home when he saw his father up on a ladder in the chicken yard. As he watched, he realized his Dad was unaware of the movements of Fang. Fang, in prime rooster fashion, was eye-ing the ladder, and studying the movements of Ed, working intently, at the top of the ladder.

Luke, realizing the danger, flew into action. Calling his dog with a sharp whistle, he took off toward the hen yard, grabbing the garbage can lid on his way, and the stick, still inside the gate, where it was usually kept.

Unfortunately his movements did not go unnoticed by Fang. Knowing his prime directive is to protect his hens, the running boy, shield and staff in hand, looked equally as threatening to his harem as the weapon-wielding "pounder" at the top of the ladder. In response, Fang did a leaping flap up onto the roof, landing in front of Ed, while Luke, now inside the gate of the hen yard, realized the dilemma.

Ed pulled himself upright on the framework of the roof, while Fang leaped claws-first at his hammer, still in hand. Before I could do or scream anything to anyone out the kitchen window, Luke had jumped stick and shield in-hand onto the ladder to shoo the big bird off the roof, while Ed was wrangling with claws and hammer.

Fang, unfolding his hen-protecting plan was knocking Dad off the roof, on top of son, climbing to protect him.

All at once there was a moving cloud of colors and items, feathers and ladder all falling to the ground. Stick, can-lid and ladder made clanging noises which came echoing from the hen yard. Bwwaaks mixed with grunts and yips all came across the field as I ran as fast as possible to the scene.

Needless to say, we had hospital bills. The guys at the emergency room were stunned. Torn shirts, bloodied arms and a hammer-lump on top of my sons head. If I hadn't been there to explain, who knows what people would have thought happened. Thank goodness for builders insurance. Tough times had caused our health insurance to lapse, yet all our bills were paid.