Hen Day!

They are here! My lovely ladies have arrived. It has been such a long awaited and exciting day, I'm not sure where to start? The Omlet van arrived bang on time, at 12.30pm. I knew they were coming as Lizzie's friends had been texting her to say they saw the van with the chickens driving through Ampthill, not surprised, it looked just like the web site! George, was driving the chickenmobile, and he quickly got stuck into assembling the 'Cube' and Lizzie and I grew more and more excited, distracting George with our questions. He was very patient and thorough with his answers.

Earlier in the day, I took this picture of Charlie in our garden, looking all relaxed and happy. He slept throught he arrival of the van, the assembly of the cube and the unloading of the chickens. So much to his disgust, he awoke at 5pm, wandered downstairs for a small snack, and legged it outside for a pee. Well, he could not believe his eyes... Birds had arrived from outerspace, just appeared! No crop circle, no flashing lights, just a fully installed coop. He flattened his ears back on his head, and began taking tiny hunter steps towards the run, ever so gently, he was mesmerised, and did not avert his gaze, unblinkingly he approached his prey, then... The Miss Pepperpot, the black and brown hen spotted hin, she clucked and warbled and clucked, more noise than we had heard all day, the other two, Gingernut Rangers, more trusting souls, joined in and Charlie, turned on his heels and fled back into the house! He has been wimpering inside ever since. I am so sad to have upset him, but cannot help being a little disappointed by his yellow streak, fancy not getting within six feet of the hens? I have a feeling Charlie might think it was all a bad dream and be hoping that he can go back to sleep and in the morning, they may have returned to their own world.

It has been a lovely day, and I spend a cold and drizzly afternoon sitting by the cube watching the hens, taking a sip from the 'Glug' water 'Nipples' (?) or pecking food from the 'Grub' feeders, trying to work out a little of their characters. I can just about tell the two Gingernuts apart, one is larger, darker and has a spikier comb, and this pair do seem to be sticking together, like sisters. The Miss Pepperpot is the most curious, she was the first to try to climb the ladder into the roosting home, and she is the first to jump, easily scared, and was the first to spot Charlie and raise the alarm, so she seems more intelligent, curious, but with a healthy self preservation instinct.

G, from next door, as in P & G mentioned yesterday, came around with her daughter S, to admire the new additions, and were lovely, S was concerned she may not be able to enjoy her supper - yes you guessed it - Stir fry chi%$(n!Now this is an interesting issue, as I am vegetarian anyway, as of, ooh, 27 years now. (That is right Dad, and I do believe you still haven't actually eaten your hat?) but Lizzie eats meat. With my blessing I hasten to point out, it is me that bought and cooked it for her - I don't like to impose my views, and each to their own. I wonder if Liz will still want roast chicken on a cold winter Sunday. I guess we will have to wait and see how that goes.

I learned so much today from George, the Omlet man, and from friends who rang to chat and from watching the hens, my head is spinning and I don't know what to say, so I think I will sign off, just one more thing to do - put the girls to bed. It is nearly 10pm and they are still in the run. George was sure they would find their way up the ladder, to climb the stairs to Bedfordshire, but as yet - nope, they are still scratching and feeding and pecking and clucking, in the dark! I really want them safely inside, roosting and crapping in their new home, well, I won't be able to sleep until they do. George said I should pop a tourch in there if I had any problems, and they will follow the light to bed. Not so... Look.

Goodnight x