In which we welcomed the chickens! 🐓

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The chickens arrived!

Meet Amelia Egghart, Granny Featherwax, and Nanny Egg.

Amelia was so named because she was missing a toe, but she was the first intrepid chicken explorer to make her way down from the coop and into the little covered run. She was an explorer, and undaunted by the challenges presented by being slightly toe-less.

Granny Featherwax and Nanny Egg, well… they just looked a bit witchy. And very capable. And a little mischievous.

The girls stayed in their top coop for the first afternoon and night, to settle in – then we opened their ramp the next morning and tried to coax them down into the run with a little corn.

It took them a while, but by lunchtime they were all pottering around. Here’s what we learned in the first couple of days of chicken-keeping:

• They’re very chatty – every time we wander over, they bockle at us and follow us around, which is delightful

• They love dandelions – I mean, they proper love dandelions

• They poo a lot

• They drink a lot of water, too

• They’ll eat almost anything we will (apparently they go bananas for cooked leftover spaghetti1)

• Checking for eggs is just about the most exciting thing to do ever (I’m hoping this won’t wear off2)

• They’re very clever – took themselves to bed without needing any prompting or encouragement

They stayed in their little coop and integrated run for a few days, but we eventually let them out to free range around the garden when we’re around. I was a little worried about the fox that lives at the back of the woodland3, but we hoped all would be well if we’re there and if we encouraged them to be out in the orchard rather than under the tight bushes.

Here’s their posh house: