frances

Dear Bunty, I write this with a heavy heart because I have some difficult news. At least, it’s news to us, although you may perhaps be better informed. Indeed, ask any of my hens – the original four plus yourself and Bertha – and you may all be able to say, “Yes of course … … Read more

If my calendar-counting is correct, my new arrivals are now 23 weeks old… that’s Bunty and Bertha, the chocolate Orpingtons I bought in the summer. Two sisters, who I think were hatched together from the same stock. Although now I am wondering… because Bunty and Bertha – or my Twinnies as I call them – … Read more

It was a sad day today in our Mac-driven household to hear of the death of the iConic Steve Jobs. Not only was our old henhouse sourced on a Mac but the amazing new one (the Hen Pad) was designed on one, using the latest in rotational animated plans which even included the ability to … Read more

Is there a better way to go to slaughter? This is not a topic I ever thought I’d find myself writing about, keeping hens as I do for pets and not chicken portions. However I find myself today embroiled in a discussion about broilers. Or more precisely on to how send meat birds sedately on their … Read more

Well I did it, having viewed some juvenile Orpingtons on Saturday there was NO WAY I was going to resist! At 12 weeks, they are a bit smaller than I am used to, but I decided not to let that deter me. “I’ll take these two,” I found myself blurting out. A friend was also … Read more

As Robert Burns almost said, “the best laid plans of mice and hen most often go astray”. I am in danger of going astray now. I am waiting for my new henhouse to be built. I have been waiting a very long time. However it should be here fairly soon and it should be wonderful. … Read more

Just been watching breakfast tv and suddenly we see, not humans as such, on the breakfast couch, but humans who LOOK like chickens! OK, I have yet to have my morning cup of tea, but despite obvious possible hallucinatory affects of dehydration, the resemblance is clear. So far we have had a wonderfully homely lady … Read more

When I saw Sumo sitting down in the roost area this morning, I feared the worst. Having nursed my elderly ex-batt through a mystery illness, only to see her recover magnificently to the point of skipping round the garden in recent days, the last thing I wanted was to discover that her recovery had been … Read more

It’s raining and the hens are looking glum. Their favourite spot close to the back door has become a muddy mess, and only the ever-hungry Light Sussex, Araminta, is still loitering there, waiting for the door to open and delicious Hen Treats to be deposited her way- a handful of mealworms, maybe, or some tomato … Read more

Phew, ten days of  hauling elderly ex-batt Sumo indoors at bedtime to have some additional sustenance “offered” to her seems to have helped. She was barely eating enough to keep going and had started sleeping in the nestbox at night, and moping around by day. The vet could find nothing obviously wrong, apart from some … Read more