Last week, we welcomed four gorgeous new ex-commercial hens to Mulberry Cottage where they’ll have a happy retirement after their stressful factory lives. Named after characters from Miss Read’s Thrush Green novels, they are: Winnie, Ella, Agnes and Violet and they’re settling in very nicely, exploring the rose borders, pecking at anything that’s green and sunbathing in this glorious May weather we’re having here in Suffolk.

Here’s Agnes negotiating the ladder for the first time on her first morning with us. She did very well!

And it wasn’t long before she was venturing further afield.

Here’s Violet inspecting my roses. I told her they’re not on the menu under any circumstances!

Of course, there were a few unfriendly confrontations with the old girls.

But, for the most part, things were pretty quiet and the new girls were relaxed enough to do a spot of sunbathing