Victoria Connelly

We have now been hen owners for one blissful week and our four ex-battery girls have settled down wonderfully well although it’s been very hard for me coping with the dreaded ‘pecking order’.  We have two dominant hens: Dotty – who emerged as top hen very early on, and Minnie – who surprised me as she started out quite shy. 

So that leaves poor Alice and Dolly Clare at the bottom of the pecking order and Alice, in particular, is a favourite victim although she’s the bright one – always eager to explore and try things first.

And, if you’re wondering about the choice of names, I took them from the Miss Read books I love so much!

When we first got the hens, they’d never been outside before and so knew nothing of day and night.  That meant that we had to give them a helping hand when it came to bedtime.  But, I’m pleased to say that the girls have now got the hang of things and happily make their own way up the ladder to bed each evening.

Not only have we been enjoying watching them grow in confidence but we’ve had a regular supply of fresh eggs too!  We’ve made omelettes, scrambled eggs galore, a cake and meringues. 

So, after years of dreaming and months of preparation, we are now smallholders and I couldn’t be happier.  If you fancy giving it a go yourself – and I highly recommend it – take a look at the British Hen Welfare Trust website.  And don’t forget to buy free-range eggs!  We can all do our bit to make sure that these wonderful animals are treated with the love and respect they deserve.

Today was a very special day indeed.  750 ex-battery chickens were released and rehomed by the amazing British Hen Welfare Trust and we had the pleasure of bringing home four lovely ladies.

Before arriving at the collection point, we had a walk in the Surrey Hills with Molly, promising her that she wouldn’t be forgotten once we got chickens!  It was a gorgeous spring day and the woods were full of snowdrops and there was a real warmth in the sun.

Then it was on to the farm where 350 ladies were being rehomed.  Here they are:

There were quite a few who looked oven-ready, poor things, but all looked eager to embrace their new life.  It’s hard to imagine the lives that they’ve had to endure: kept in tiny cages indoors with no natural light or earth to scratch around in - all in the name of producing cheap eggs.  Looking at them here, it really makes you aware of how important it is to buy free-range eggs. 

With our four chickens chosen, it was time to head for home.

And they soon settled down in the boot of the car, making a chickeny cushion in the corner of the cage – sweet!

Once, home, we introduced them to their coop and it was straight in for a bite to eat and a scratch around. 

One of them even climbed the ladder and found herself a nest box.  We had to give the others a hand but there weren’t any complaints after what must have been a very big day for them!