I am reading chicken books. Tonnes of them. I am a new mother of 12 and like every new mother I panic about everything…feeding, behaviour, friendships, squabbles, toes and in my case feathers and beaks!
I am back and forth to London hospitals this week, so a short post. Tony is being mother hen while I am away and I am sending “helpful” emails each day as I find something interesting or essential for happy girls.
Chickens by Suzie Baldwin is a great read for a quick rough guide. The photography is lovely and the text flows easily providing a lot of informed and reassuring chapters covering all the basics and a bit more.
The single chicken and two on the perch are my girls. Chickens are hard to photograph as those little heads bob about so quickly and they are a very busy bunch, worm hunting , scratching and standing on my feet to pull my shoe-laces.
Well I will apologise now, but over the next few weeks there will be a derth of poultry posts and I hope helpful for any of you wondering if at your home or in a new life in France or elsewhere, you might take the plunge or rather take flight into the world of chickens.
A French Homestead Life 
Yay! Looking forward to the updates – we are working on our first clutch of hens too (they’re slightly over 1-month old pullets now) and it’s such an adventure!
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Your brave. We took ours in at approx 18 weeks old. We have just expanded their area and today they were like on a sugar rush at having a bigger area to explore.
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Your girls are like mine.. looking forward to seeing more of them.
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How’s the swing going?
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Im afraid its still just a decoration piece, unused although each time I look at it im proud of my creativity. An unexpected difficult week with Simon has meant little time in the garden but I might get some treats next week and try and encourage some feathered exercise. Or maybe read up as to how to get them to see the benefits of swinging.
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I think they will get it. Mine didn’t sit on our new purch for a week. Now their all Nadia Comaneci on it!
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Delightful, Judi. I’m such a fan of chickens, having imprinted on them as a child. There were no other children my age close to hand so my best friends all had feathers. 🙂
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That’s so sweet. They are lovely and such characters. I have never actually spent any time with chickens so big learning curve. My big passion is pigs. Adore them. As a child (Only child too and very shy) I used to love going to the local farm and wildlife parks and seek out the pigs or hogs. But lots of work so unless our life takes that animal route I won’t be be hearing oinks over pales of warm milk and spud peel. But who knows. Animal friends are priceless.
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Priceless? Ab-so-tive-ly 🙂
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Fantastic! Wow … all those eggs. We eat a lot of eggs as I like baking and for some reason we both like eggs on a Sunday night for supper usually after having had a big roast earlier in the day, also poached eggs on toast. Husband dearest has become a little smug about how good he is in making the perfect poached egg … How exciting for you to have chickens … I’m rather jealous! Katie x
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Therapy with wings but they don’t fly away! I love poached eggs..comfort food at it’s best. I make a gluten free flat bread to have them on. Yummy. Big roasts I miss and Yorkshire puddings. Once kitchen done next year I will have no excuses. Happy weekend. Judi x
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Cute girls! Good luck with your new family. A good friend has a small holding in France, couldn’t wait to get chicks, loved them to pieces too!
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They sure are some characters. Is your friend blogging?
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Couldn’t comment in your blog…love the donuts. So cute.
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