Been sneaking around here reading lots of posts and thought it was time to say hello! Got my girls on Saturday night and they are settling in wonderfully. I was lucky enough to get a hen house from my father in law who had 3 rescue hens for about a year before they went to the great chicken heaven in the sky and he decided not to get any more so I got the house. Hubby built me an extended enclosure, hopefully fox proof and the girls moved in. I got 4 light Sussex, called them Agnes, Betty, Coraline and Demelza (note the alphabetism....!) though they all look pretty much the same so not really able to tell them apart yet. They are starting to loosen up a bit and chill out now, enjoying the different height roosting perches hubby built into the enclosure, scratching about, eating worms and other creepy crawlies. Bought a £20 tub of mealworms for treats and a hanging up treat bar which disappeared incredibly quickly! Eating their pellets and drinking fine so I'm happy. Getting their pecking order sorted out too without too much fuss and drama.
No eggs yet, but my farmer supplier man reckoned it would be another 2 weeks, I check excitedly every morning but no sign yet. Doesnt feel like it matters though as they are giving me so much pleasure that the arrival of eggs would simply be a bonus!
The arrival of hens is another step in our aim to become not wholly self sufficient but at least part of the way there. We have raised beds in the garden for salads and bits and bobs, few fruit trees and bushes. And two allotments on the go as well which is giving up oodles of produce at the moment, hard work keeping up with two of them, especially as they are on different sites, the hope is to eventually have two next to each other but until then we manage!
Anyway, off to do some reading on diatom and stalosan as both tubs have arrived today and I need to know what to do with it all!