Our first egg!

Well, our hens arrived yesterday – John, Cathal & Oisin collected them with great excitement, and, it must be said, we were all a bit nervous that we would have everything ready for them (including knowing what to have ready for them!). Jim, as usual, answered our 101 questions with great patience and knowledge… and, lo and behold they look really quite happy in their new home.

Their house was specially built for them (by John), complete with hen door, access flap for egg collecting, laying boxes, ventilation window, perches, access ladder… and their sandbath was added today.

I’m sure there’s more we need to do, but they seem to be off to a good start. So much so that we have had our first egg, left inside the door of the house already! It’s like a seal of approval… I never thought I would be so delighted with an egg, but there you go!

It really is lovely to watch them pottering about, pecking in the grass and clucking away. Now, the next challenge will be rounding them up at bedtime…