[Missie]

This has been my first year-well just over with chickens and it has not been easy,the winter was horrendous,2ft of snow everywhere down the paddock,having to get up super early to let them all out,the run was a bog,the field was out of sight,chickens had colds,coughs,all kinds of things throughout the winter,taking them in the house,nursing them better-poop everywhere A small fortune at the vets aswell,certainly a lot of trial and error.

However,I was looking through my pics last night and found a picture of my Mary-the Cuckoo maran,my first flock was purchased from someone relatively local,they were all rather rough looking,worms,very scraggily and thin,I was naieve but took them on at only £1.00 each,they had been in someone back garden whom gave the idea up.

Here are the pictures or Mary,how she was when she came to me and how she is now,she won a competition here for me earlier this year which was really wonderful.

This proves that there is really good advice here,lots of help and idea's and most of all,encouragement.

My girls are freerange,they have just eaten all of my blackberries but they do lay exceedingly good eggs 

[nicky d]

Arh she has grown into a beautiful girl, its amazing wot good care can do isnt it.   Well done to you  nickyx

[joyfull]

well done, she is a credit to you 

[evie2]

It's hard to believe it's the same chook well done, are the chicks hers too

[sneezer]

She is a beauty, no wonder she won a prize!!!

[NormandyMary]

You deserve a medal or a degree in chookery. She is a credit to your hard work and empty wallet!!

Great name for a chook by the way

Mary.

[jinty1911]

Well done.  She looks so happy now. 
Jinty

[Foghorn-Leghorn]

Well done - that's quite inspirational 

[Fisherman]

Absolutely marvellous achievement Missie. It makes me wonder sometimes whether private, inexperienced hen keepers are any better than battery hen keepers, not that yours are battery hens. Some people don't just understand the responsibilities and what's involved in keeping hens and it's not difficult it to research it before getting started. Sooner or later we will have an industry rescuing hens from incompetent first time hen keepers never mind battery hen keepers. Every credit to you, well done.

[New shoot]

What a turn around - she's a credit to you    Luverly little chicks as well 

[Missie]

I have to Thank you all for your very kind comments,I am quite tearful!,it has been hard work,especially when I muck out every week without fail, disinfect,dry,hoover even!(perhaps ott)put in the new fresh bedding,diatom the hell out of it all-it just looks so nice afterwards though there are some forty in the main coop now so does not stay clean for long:(

I know some people from Ipswich whom after seeing them with hens I decided to get my first flock,you know,I understand Fisherman saying incompetent first time hen keepers,they feed them all the scraps out of the kitchen including meat,in three years they have gone through some 30 hens or more-and having only 6 per time makes me very upset,their hens all die of seemingly of heart attacks!I try to tell them use cider vinegar and such,he would say-I was raised on a farm and I know it all    They never use anything like this,it is such a sad sad shame that in my opinion there are too many whom see keeping chickens as a novelty rather than keeping them in a professional manner.(sorry,i was losing it there!)

 I have not actually had one hen die on me,even Jemima whom is obviously a very aged ex batt but she has now all her feathers back like Mary and has mothered 8 chicks this year-this recently was her second lot! ok,she always lays wobbly shaped eggs through age and probably one a week if she is lucky but she is a very good Mummy!

Again,A really big Thank you,I shall add some pics of the chicks shortly,they are not quite 3-4 weeks of age but doing really well!