Monthly Archives: May 2010

On the hottest day of the year I put 3 tired but not too tatty little ex battery hens into the back of my van and drove them home.

I thought I was turning up to a distribution point where there would be 4000 hens and lots of potential owners….no, in fact there were several distribution points and the 4000 hens had been divvied up around the county,  so when I got to Goole it was just a handful of eager new adopters and a stable full of slightly flustered – but not panic stricken hens.  We each patiently waited and then we had to go in ad pick our hens.  I chickened out (!) and asked someone else to put mine into the dog cage I’d brought and then off I went.

What amazed me was how well they looked.  fairly decently feathered and pretty strong, but a bit pale.  However that’s because Elsie is really pink and laying, and that’s how they look when they’re laying (I didn’t know that 2 weeks ago!

It was so hot in that van and they were so quiet.   It was only a half hour journey but I was pretty worried by the silence in the back.   Thank goodness they were just sitting panting.   I hoisted them out and sort of coralled them into the back yard where it was shady, put out a bowl of water and some food,  and out they came.

Before you knew it they were being inquisitive and poking about, not looking for the water but checking out the plants and having a bash at the heather and having a scratch and a dig. 

They don’t look to bad at all and they are quickly discovering the things that chickens do when they get the chance.  And remarkably they will let me pick them up – with a bit of clucking but still I can get hold of them but not Elsie,  no way.

Currently they’re in bed and I think they’re sorting out the pecking order.   There have been a couple of kerfuffuls but nothing too horendous.   As for Elsie, well she’s not sure what to think.   It’s been a difficult day.   First of all there are 3 other hens to deal with but secondly she’s had her wings clipped.   She was just getting a bit too clever as an escape artist and she might not like it but she’s going to be safer for it.

I’m hoping it’ll soon be quiet, and then we’ll see what tomorrow brings

This morning when I opened the shed a wren flew out…. humm, cute, but unusual.
Then my son arrived to finish off the chicken house – I am so excited about getting chickens and he had nearly finished yesterday but today it’s done and so I’ve given it one coat of a nice paint.
Then I came back into the house and heard fluttering – I don’t like trapped birds and I just knew that there must be one in the house. Sure enough there it was – a baby starling brought in by a cat I suppose, unhurt thank goodness, but I had to get it out somehow, so I summoned up my courage and wafted it out of the French windows. Thank goodness it went out quite easily, I remember having to summon help from the milkman years ago when a blackbird got trapped in the kitchen and went into panic mode.
Fine – but back in the shed I could have sworn I saw the wren again – and on closer inspection what is in the shed? A nest! So now what? Do I tiptoe around until the babies are hatched or can I go into the shed again? Well apparently, my neighbour who knows everything about birds says it’ll either get used to me or clear off, so to carry on as normal. Not sure about that but I need to get in and out so Mr & Mrs Wren we’re going to have to try to make friends.
So off I went out for a couple of hours and came home to paint the hen house. Half way through that same neighbour asked me if I’d like a hen. Well of course I’d love a hen! His hens had been fighting and Elsie (for that is her name) was coming off worst, because his other hen had baby chicks and was defending her corner.
So here’s the house – you can’t see Elsie yet because she needs to come to terms with her new home, but she is in there. I am told that with luck at the weekend she can come out for a look at her new garden, but for now she’s in the shed, with her corn and her water and that’s her lot. How fab!