We have been away in the caravan for four days. My wonderful neighbour has been looking after the girls, but gave me a word of warning on our return. Lizzie, our biggest hybrid has managed to fly onto the four foot fence at the bottom of our garden. There is no way she would get back as the land fal...

Really enjoyed your post, Bridget's Mum. Happy hen keeping!

All the best with your new hens. It is steep, though enjoyable and most rewarding learning curve.

We have made several alterations to our run and coop since getting the girls in mid July. Last week OH lifted the roof height - we had bashed our heads a few times on overhead beams, despite warning tape dangling down. We have moved the perching shelter, bought a plastic shed, and dismantled the woo...

OH made me a wooden rack for our eggs. My parents had one - before the days of fridges. Two pieces of plywood, with holes cut out for the eggs on the top piece, little feet, and a piece of wood for a spacer to hold the two pieces together. Only drawback, I have to keep moving the eggs along as fresh...

Welcome from me too. Enjoy your girls, enjoy using this forum, it is amazing.

When we moved into our retirement home six year since, we foraged for wood. There was always plenty lying in ditches, on road sides and grass verges. Two years later, and there was none to pick up. I was chatting to a friend one day - farmer's wife, loads of wood on the farm, etc., and she said &quo...

We let ours out one week after we got them. OH put windbreaks up in a circle, to fence them in, and every time they went near them, my heart was in my mouth. They go out for around an hour twice a day, more if we are working in the garden. They have discovered the joys of the bare earth on the veggi...

Sad to read of the loss of your girl. Hope the others pick up soon.

Another question, OH has drilled ventilation holes in each side of the hut, at the top, they are a little larger than the Smilie on the fourth row down, with a long nose! I am not convinced they will be adequate in the warmer weather.

I wonder how much ventilation Alex and Annie and Mazz have?

I was going to post about our new plastic shed from B.....Q, but just seen this thread. We had red mite last week, to my horror, and after reading several threads about plastic versus wood, decided to bite the bullet and go for plastic. Our new shed is sitting on two concrete paving slabs, and OH ha...

I worry about mine also. We have had them almost two months. I worry if they don't lay, I worry when it is wet, I worry ....... Like a baby, they are ours to care for and give of our best to.

Hope you bond with them soon, and best of luck.

Love your post and photos. They are truly amazing, aren't they.

Hope you and the hens will be very happy with the super run.

Thank you all of you for your replies. Once had my sons maggots hatch out, the outhouse was full of bluebottles, and I couldn't understand why, until I saw the open tin....