March and April 2013.

I've been thinking for a few weeks what to write about march because it was pretty much the same as february.  It was a bit of a rubbish month as it was all about letting the land dry out nothing could really be done.  I was continuing to get an egg or two a day, one from penny and one from martha brahma hen, but there was nothing new going on.  And what happens when nothing new is happening - well i got these two bundles of gorgeousness:

Originally, they were Meg (the yellow one) and Lois but they've since changed to Poppy (the yellow (sussex)) and Lulu (the blue ranger)

They had to live at home for about 8 weeks in a box in the back room with their heater, and they would come out at night and sit on the sofa and watch tele!!


April 2013.

April was the month that really made a difference the drainage system was completed with a tonne of pea gravel needing shifting into the trenches, then drainage piping and the whole thing being covered over again:

The chicken run was moved back to its original spot with an extra 6 x 6 foot put on the back to accommodate the new chicks moving down there.

However, the chicken run now was big enough for another two hens!! What to do, what to do?? Yep you guessed it!  I decided at this point ex battery hens were the way forward.  I found a lovely place in wigan called lucky hens rescue, arranged how many hens I wanted and picked them up at my designated time and date - honestly it couldn't have been simpler - and the added bonus is its makes your soul feel good!
I have to say, the staff and volunteers at lucky hens do an amazing, fantastic job,  if I ever get the opportunity to get more hens I would undoubtedly get ex-batts from lucky hens, and if you ever get the opportunity to keep hens really consider getting ex-batts.  They are so lovely, and like i said previously it makes you feel good that not only are you helping them, but seeing them improve day by day is amazing.

So here we are introducing (brace yourself they arent the prettiest in these pictures, but this is their first day out)

Babs - she was in the worst condition of the two she had no feathers on her chest or on her wings

And Betty, who had more clothes on.

It was a family day out collecting the hens and Mr husband developed a real soft spot for babs (though he called her, and still calls her frankenchicken), he sometimes goes to the allotment just to see how she is.

So we got them into there new pen and realised I hadnt bought them a house!! Thankfully with a good supply of wood, sleepers and a dab hand with a drill I managed to build them a temporary house until they were ready to go in with the other hens (it did also have a front on it, but not on this picture):

Three weeks after getting the ex batts this is how they were looking:

Babs might not look like much, but you can see her feathers coming back in on her chest.

And betty, well you can see what a difference three weeks can make!



By now with all the hens that would be going into one coop, the old house wasn't going to be good enough for them, so i bought them a new one that could be put on the outside of the coop giving them more run space:

April was also the month for putting the raised beds in....buts that another post for another day!!