Meet Faith, Hope and Charity ***FLASH***

Theyre fab....my aunt keeps hens in her garden....theyre soooo nosey and will eat anything!

They look great Moomin, much healthier than i thought they'd look and obv enjoying their new home x

They're lovely and in much better condition than mine were in. I've also got the same coop as you.

QQ, do they have access to the whole of your garden? The only reason I ask is that they will scratch up the grass something chronic and we've had to fence them off into a pen at the end of the garden. Our grass is only just recovering.

The coop is OK isn't it Dumble, although a little small for that to be the ONLY space 3 hens would have. I'd hate to keep them in that all the time. We're like you - we've fenced off a piece of garden for them .....

but we'll let them onto the lawn from time to time to tidy it up for us - and the vege patch ready for the winter!... : )

They are in better condition than I was expecting too but they aren't battery hens - the were classed as free range which I think meant they were all in an open barn rather than caged.

Charity is prob in the worst condition.

I'm just feeling a little unsure about everything to do with them at the moment - my confidence at hen mummyship is fairly low! But it'll come....

I just had a look at photos of my hens when I first got them and they were pretty scrawny! Yours are in really good condition.

You've got a lovely area for them. Your confidence will build as the hens tend to get on with it!

Were yours caged batteries Dumble? I think because ours were 'free range' (as far as kept in a barn, not in a small cage) they aren't in such a bad state.

I'm v worried about Faith tho' - having been the ring leader y'day she's not moved out of her nest box all evening, and isn't laying/hasn't laid and isn't chatting. Just sitting. : ( Opened up their mini run at 6pm when I got home and she's not moved. The other 2 have been sort of milling about and grazing, but haven't ventured far out their mini run.

I just hope she's OK... : (

You've made me more excited about getting ours now ?

I really want some hens!

OH doesn't eat eggs though so trying to convince him is proving a tad tricky!

Moomin - How's Faith? Has she emerged yet? She might be ill, still getting used to her surroundings or be broody. I've had a quick google for you just to see if there's anything to help:

https://www.bhwt.org.uk/blog/news/caring-for-hens-in-schools-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/

http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/keeping-chickens/broody-hen.php

http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/poultry_illness/index.php

HTH

Hi Dumble

Sorry haven't been back on to reply - have been without internet for a while....!

Faith is allllll good. She was just having a couple of days to adjust I think... I was very relieved that she perked up ... they're all doing really well, and have today had their first experience of 'rain'....

Thanks for those links - their are some great chook forums that have been helpful for sure as its still all very new to me and I still worry if I'm doing the right/wrong thing!!