Faith, Hope and Charity

I went to pick up some ex-battery hens today. It was a very moving experience as when I got to the pick-up point, I met many people carrying hens away in all sorts of containers to start a new and happy life.

Within minutes of completing the paperwork, I was presented with my three little girls, who only this morning would have been living a very different life to the one they are now.

I sat with them on the journey home, peeping at them often to make sure they were ok. I even ensured we had relaxing music for them as we drove along.

It was amazing to watch as I pulled the cover gently from the top, they all moved towards the corner of the box to be bathed in the sparkling sunshine that beamed through the car window. Maybe their first experience of sunlight.

On reaching home, we lifted them into their new coop and very soon they started to eat, drink and explore their new home and by dusk they obediently let me put them to bed.

So, this is a new life for Faith, Hope and Charity. In the months to follow they will join the existing team and show a different side of life inside the chicken coop.

A special commission

This is a painting by artist Suki White - http://www.sukiwhite.moonfruit.com/
We have just been on our annual Wrekin Writers retreat and she was working on this while we were there.

She kindly gave me the painting after I remarked on the resemblance of these hens to my own girls below. Bethan and Blodwyn now feel very special as they believe I commissioned the painting especially for them.

Scream if you dare!

"Hey, look at this place, it looks interesting."

"I think we should go in."

"Not sure about this, it says 'KEEP OUT."

"Rubbish, I will go in! No body scares me! "

"What's that noise? I can hear something coming!"

"Here we go again Blodwyn - more spooks trying to scare us."

"We'll show them - BOOOOH!!

"Aghhhhh, that's so scary! Did you see that? It went for me and the other one ate a whole worm in one go! I'm off."

"That's better now we can get on with with our fun without all these silly spooks trying to enter our coop"

Adoption

'Girls, I need to talk to you about something very important.'

'What is is it? Are you doing another crazy blog and want us to take part?'

'No, it's more important than that. We are going to adopt some hens. Ex Battery hens, they will need a lot of love and caring for, I need you to help me.

They will not look like you or behave like you. They will not have feathers and they may not be able to walk and talk as you do, but I want you to accept them as you would any other hen. We need to work together to make them happy when they come to their new home.'

'Oh fab, this sounds good, new sisters!'

' I want to play football with them.'

'I shall give them beauty tips.'

'But hold on, where are they going to live?'

'Here, I need to make sure they are OK before you all get acquainted, you will be able to get to know each other slowly this way, and you can natter over the garden fence to each other.'

'Oh that's a cool little coop, we will come and visit them, perhaps we will invite them round to us some time.'

'Yes, we will, I can't wait to meet our new additions. The door is always open to any friend - inside the chicken coop!'

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

I am hoping to make some Perry this year from my windfall pears. I spent a few lovely hours in the garden today. As the hens scratched around, I picked the fruit. They weren't interested while I was picking and raking the pears from the ground but as soon as I put them into the barrow they ran like mad and started eating them- little madams! They soon picked out the over ripe ones too that are starting to ferment. I will have to get them up soon before I have drunken chickens to cope with!

Why is it when a human shows an interest in something our animals join in? Usually it's only if there is food on offer though, they never help me clean out their coop or tidy the shed which is full of rat droppings!

The grass (or should I say the glass) is always greener)

The hens have been totally obsessed over the last few days as we were finishing off putting up the new greenhouse. Why on earth they think that the grass is greener inside a glass box with no obvious food on offer is beyond me but they were determined to get in. They were actually pecking the glass at one stage and were not amused by the fact they could not enter.

They watched me with the most peevish expressions as they stood at the doorway as even when it was open they were not quite able to make that final step inside.

So muggins here built them a ramp! Within seconds they were exploring their new see-through play pen.

I'm sure if I had left them in there they would take root. Blodwyn was more than happy to check out my tomatoes and scratch at the gravel I had neatly brushed into place! That didn't last very long.

I guess they are just like us in a way and just like to see to see things from a different angle, though the novelty hasn't worn off yet, every time I open the door, they dive inside only to stare out of the window on the outside again - crazy chickens!

Caught red handed

I think the flower fairy may be giving Bethan a little telling off for scratching up my flowers. I only turned my back for a few minutes to peg some washing out and there she was digging up my Dianthus! Shocking what these free range little madams get up to. I can forgive her though and she did come quietly when bribed with a bag full of goodies!