This year, Mr Fox has killed all my chickens. We originally bought our first batch in 2019. In 2021 I added to the brood and then over the course of a week we lost them all at the beginning of this year. To say I was devastated! I held it together and made plans to build a better system before purchasing any more. Meanwhile my parents in law organised for our neighbour, who owns a petting farm, to let us have some of the grown chicks once they were out of the ‘petting’ stage. This was suck a lovely and huge surprise when they arrived this week. Seven lovely brown hens for us all to look after, together with a recycled igloo home for them and a run which we will expand once they grow to full size.

To me, the farm just doesn’t seem like a farm without hens so Im supper happy to have them here. I can’t wait till they start laying eggs and I’m going to encourage the children to go and collect the eggs each day once they start (I’m thinking during the six weeks holiday)! Back in 2019 I wrote a blog post about keeping chickens yourself, go check it out!

Currently, all chickens are in lockdown due to avian flu, but that is due to be stopped as of this weekend. However, as these chickens are going to be confined I have put a list together of how to entertain those closed up chickens:

1. Give them sand or dirt so they can have a dust bath.

2. Give them different ways of getting food like vegetable kebabs or simply hanging items from a string, it will keep them busy and their minds sharp.

3. The mess that chickens feet make from scratching at everything means you may need to put woodchip down or something similar at some point.

4. Provide entertainment. Like music, mirrors, hanging CDs or even providing a swing. All measures help with the inevitable boredom.

5. All animals respond to TLC, so keep taking to them, interacting with them, stroking etc.

I can’t wait to show them off in all their glory and to watch them grow into little ladies with all their personalities going on.

Much love Rebecca