Secret mission!

oh lovely Ian-- but how do you know which ones which? :0)

He asks them, of course, Pam!!!! LOL.

Well done Ian...glad the ladies are in situ and producing what they should. :-))

I know where to come if I run out of eggs...lol.....

Brilliant !

thats great ian.... i used to have chickens before i moved to the coast....its lovely having fresh eggs isnt it....

Well, thankyou Ian, now I'm a chicken as well as a Poppy, Tulip and Tomato !
Why couldn't I have been named differently .... lol !

of course Spritz---- why didn't I think of that --- Lol
my neighbour has half a dozen and gives some to us .. nothing like a new laid egg!
by the way did you see-- the EU are banning a dozen eggs--- its true--- and 6 rolls or even 8forthepriceof6 mars bars-- whats the world coming to!!

Chickens! I'm jealous on my dreamy days I would love to have a small holding and chickens are at the top of the list .

Lovely Ian i am so pleased these little ladies can live the rest of their lives in comfort.

Lovely ladies Ian! Well done for rescuing them....:o)

What alovely blog Ian... we also had chicken when I was growing up. I always named mine, we had a very large rhode island red cockerel

Good on you Ian, it's a wonderful thing rescuing chooks like that, I feel guilty as we bought ours as 8 week olds. She wanted a particular breed. Aren't they such characters, I'd no idea how interesting they are to watch, we have a bench right near their pen, no eggs yet though. They're no trouble and cleaner than I thought, no wonder they're getting so popular.

Thank you all for your lovely comments, They are settling in nicely and as I just went up to lock them away from Mr. Fox they all came charging down the garden to greet me! :~)))))

Homebird, Pam and Shirley, you will have to ask Holly which is which. She does know and gets VERY exasperated when I can't tell them apart!

Thanks Spritz, we've already got a hen sitter lined up for when we go on our hols!

AA, you can come round and borrow an egg any time you like. :~))

Hi Louise, thanks xx

Holly, I've just had one, poached, and yes it was delicious!

Kfunsters, I've dreamt about having some since I used to go to my uncles farm as a nipper (He had a kennels and dog breeding business but kept chickens, pigs, goats and had an allotment to die for!)

Hi Carol, yes that's right. The eggs are "eggcellent" but they are pets first and will be able to live out their days in comfort and with plenty of room to spread their wings.

Thanks Dylondog, as I've already said, it's been a long term dream of mine to have some. They have great personalities and are a joy to watch. (Instead of gardening! Lol)

I didn't think it would have been wise for us to get a cockerel Stripes, not in such a built up area. Lol

Hi Heron, we must have posted together there! Lol

You're not wrong about them being characters. I have sat and watched them all day today (Instead of digging the flower bed I was supposed to be doing!)

Well done Ian & Carol ... a mercy dash into the sticks to swoop & save some chooks! Comic book stuff! They couldn't have a better home.

Thanks Fluff, we had a really nice day out and they were really helpful and gave us loads of advice.
The only down side to the day was poor Holly on the journey home. She had to sit with them just behind her in all that heat and they were VERY nervous! Lol

Congratulations on the new 'additions' Ian, you're really putting that big garden to good use aren't you? When I was a child we always had chickens who lived out their days in the garden long after they had ceased laying. I do remember a gruesome sight one morning after a fox had somehow got in the henhouse so do be careful.

Eeuw! Poor girl! Hope she gets to collect the eggs then ... that was always a big treat when I was a kid!

Hi Lily, they're currently in my shed as we were originally just going to have the two. I built a high rise coop for them but the centre said they didn't like to re-home less than three so we agreed to that but when we went into the barn there were only five left and we just couldn't separate them! I huess I'll be going down to the D.I.Y store for more timber?

Fluff, she certainly let us know about it (over and over and over again) but I had my window open and couldn't smell a thing! Lol
She had her wellies on over her pyjama's this morning checking they were all right and I left the eggs until she got back from school. She was sooooo chuffed! :~))

They are all so sweet. Yum, eggs!

Ian we bought some special ankle rings, they come in different colours. Foxes these days are not always nocturnal, we have ours penned in 24/7 unless we're around.

my neighbours hens are in a pen on wheels that is moved every day, it has an upstairs laying area and a ramp to go up at night--- which they do :o)

Thanks Pip, they are sweet. I've just had to chase one out of the kitchen, she was sitting on Carol's stool checking things out!

We are in quite a built up area Heron and hopefully Mr. Fox will stay away!

I've seen these pens Pam but have you seen the price of them? I'll be going down to B&Q tomorrow and buying the timber to build my own. Lol
I've always been quite handy and enjoy building things.

Great Ian, they look really well, hope you keep them safe from Mr. Reynard and get to eat lots of those lovely eggs.

Thanks Doctorbob. One came out and let me pick her up today! Holly is over the moon when she finds eggs when she gets back from school (after I've cleaned them out, fed them etc, etc.! Lol)

Well someone has got to do it Ian LOL. Your gorgeous little Holly will have lots of fun gathering the eggs, hope they are all double yolked.

Ooh, yes please! Lol

Have you noticed that even with free range eggs bought from the sillymarket you never get a double yolker?

No Ian you don't I've noticed that, I think they have had it bred out of them. I remember once when my wife and I were eating in a cafe at the coast, whenever I have something with eggs I always ask for two (because I'm extremely greedy and I do love my eggs) anyway on one particular day when the meal arrived both eggs were double yolked, I thought I'd won the lottery. Did I enjoy them. Hmm now I'm late for work.

Lol DoctorB. I think I would have done a back flip (well almost!) if I got two double yolkers on the same plate!

Sorry I've made you late for work, just tell 'em it's my fault and if they've got any problems with that they should come round here and I'll explain why. Perhaps you should also let them know that I'm 6'5" and an ex wrestler! ! ! (Not really but it'll shut them up! Lol)

the guy next door built his own as well, just had a good look at the expensive ones and copied the design which seems to work well,-- not had a 'double yolker' but they are lovely

Great additions to your family! :-)) Enjoy the eggs!

I've been at it all day Pam, I got some plans off the internet last night (complete with shopping/cutting list) and bought the stuff this morning. I think I've done a decent job and all for less than £50. Mind you I did have all the screws, bolts and window locks already!

Cheers David, Carol is scrambling a couple as I type!

well done Ian --- will there be a photo when the ladies take up residence :0)

I'm sure I can do that Pam, I've put it in the shed for tonight as they think of that as home now!

I just caught next doors cat stalking them. That's something I'm going to have to keep an eye on, she's a real hunter!

Thanks for the offer Ian, but as I'm the boss I think I'll be alright. I will remember it though if I ever have a problem I'll certainly send for you, even if you were only joking. LoL.

Well I am 6'5" but have never been a wrestler! Lol

What a great idea, to look after 5 little hens! I seem to remember Gerry saying something about chickens on the allotments. I don't know if anybody has any now but it seems like people used to keep them.

What do you feed them on? Surely there can't be enough worms & insects or seeds in you garden to maintain 5 hens!

We bought two sacks of "layers mash" from the rescue place at £7 each. Each bag will last about three weeks. They have only ever had this so it's the only thing they know as food. I will be introducing corn into their diet in a week or so's time. We are also giving them left overs (veg leaves, fruit etc.) There was nearly a riot when we gave them a bowl of strawberries that were on the turn!

What a hoot, good luck with your girls Ian long may they lay eggs 4 u :o)

Thanks Neena, they are real characters and give soooooo much (not just eggs! ! !)

A colleague at work got hers from the same place as you, Ian. You are so right! Lovely characters, personalities, and pets!! Was asking after hers, today. She brings the surplus eggs into work every tues morn, and we buy them like gold dust. The yolks are so golden, and the taste just heavenly! Must find out what feed they get! :-)

Your colleague has done some miles David, to get theirs from Norwich? I do know that to keep them laying regularly the hens need "layers mash" or "layers pellets". It's what they are fed in the factory. I will be supplementing corn and/or other feed once they get used to the changes!

Don't forget to keep us up to date with the progress of your new babies Ian, I'll be interested to know how they get on. I kept chickens a long time ago I really enjoyed it.

With space at a premium I've had to shave off the lower branches of some Laylandii to fit the pen in (see pic) and the 'Egg house' is on top to offer more room below, no bending to clean or collect eggs. We're expecting our first eggs very soon now. You can't see the small bench but it's just where I took the pic so it's nice to sit and be entertained.

Well the "not so good" news is they have gone off the lay, we haven't had an egg for a couple of days now. I'm not worried, they will just be settling in still. I have finished their new abode but need some fencing up to keep them off my veggies and the lawn. For some reason Carol and Holly are objecting to the mini land mines! Lol

Ian, will you let them roam over the veg plot when your veg has been cropped?

I think that's a great idea Heron, they can clear any debris and fertilize the ground while they are there!

Great blog, you are so going to have lots of fun and great tasting eggs

Thanks P.dottie, we are all loving them. They've taken over from the T.V. as the best thing to watch! Lol

wow lucky you ian, would love chickens if we had more space and no casper lol, they look very healthy to, glad they are laying eggs for your breakfast already ;o))

Thanks San, they really are great little pets and have brill personalities!

Sooooooo jealous! We'd love em but no room!

Good on ya sir:o))

Lol Dan, I never knew how much fun they could be!

My supervisor's, wife's sister has just 2 days ago, taken on 3 chooks and loves em! It's the one thing we always say we'd love. Enjoy em Digs coz you're gonna get a lot of pleasure from them:o))

Is the food expensive for them?

Not really Dan, about £7 for 5 hens for 3 weeks. They have layers mash as that is all they have had but I can start introducing corn and other stuff now. I gave them some left over pasta, peas and sweetcorn and they went mad for it!

LMAO!!

You should think about opening a chicken restaurant serving all variety of dishes for chickens. Might stay away from the KFC name though if you're looking to build trade!!!

They sound like good value at £7 for 3 weeks for 5 though. Wish the 2 cats we've taken on were as cheap as that! :o(

Haha Dan, Can you imagine Holly (or Carol for that matter) allowing me to do anything untoward to her precious birds?

True....forget that one then...LOL!

Lol :~))