Cluck cluck!

We've always fancied having chickens for fresh eggs - so recently we set about converting an old bike shed in our garden into a chicken coop...

From this old shed...

...to being cut down, fixed up and strengthened...

To treated, and moved to the back of the side garden.

Run in progress in the garage.

Once this work was done, we popped over to a local farm that stock a lot of poultry and came home with a French Black Rock (Benedict - "Bennie"), a Light Sussex (Florentine - "Florrie"), and a Magpie (Shelly).  Here's some picture of them arriving at their new home!

On the way home

Seren greats the new 'dog' with "woof woof"

Seren greeting them, whilst showing them it's ok to eat clumps of soil.

Exploring the run

They're 17 weeks old, all hybrids - with Florrie being a dual purpose (layer, and also a good eater!).  In the few days that we've had them it's been fun noticing their different personalities.  The black rock is so nosey, always coming to you first to see what's going on.  Whilst I was digging, she was out and about eating worms and what not from right under my spade (on the 2nd day we had her!)

Worm hunting!

A close up of Bennie

Florrie - a bit shy, but a real gannet.

Shelly - hopped on my legs whilst I was snipping some wire ends off the run.

Today we all went out to give them a bowl of rice with raisins, and oats - Seren took to them like a duck to water!  They didn't seem to mind being poked and screamed at in joy either!

Pictures are a bit grainy as they were all taken on my phone!  Whilst we were out there, we picked a load of yellow raspberries (All Gold) - they're quite mild tasting, but so fragile and break up into a juicey pulp in your hands if you're not careful with them.  I'll be ripping them out and replacing them with another autumn fruiting raspberry.. perhaps Autumn Bliss - I'm not sure yet!  Our Summer fruiting ones were amazing in taste, I'd fully recommend trying Glem Ample - thornless too, unlike these All Gold, which are a right pain picking.

Once we have enough we're going to make Jam out of them.

Washed and ready for the freezer