Uncategorized – Chicken Nuggets

The Roles We Play

Since Princess Layer passed away, we’ve been trying to integrate Pumpkin back into the flock. On paper, this should be simple. Pumpkin is by far my largest hen, now the oldest with Princess gone, and she has seriously scary spurs that appeared rather suddenly years ago. By all the usual rules of flock dynamics, sheContinue reading “The Roles We Play”

Be beautifully you, to the very end

This week, we finally said farewell to Princess Layer, our oldest hen. Princess arrived pre-Covid, part of my very first batch of hens. From the start, she knew exactly who she was. She served as the perfect second-in-command to our Head Hen, Henrietta—the enforcer, the disciplinarian, the one who made sure everyone else stayed inContinue reading “Be beautifully you, to the very end”

Suffering in Silence

Original post from 2025 Sad news today. Little Athena chicken passed away quietly in the night. No warning. No visible signs of illness. She simply never woke up. Those are the losses that hit the hardest — the ones you don’t see coming. Athena wasn’t demanding attention, wasn’t obviously unwell, wasn’t drawing concern to herself.Continue reading “Suffering in Silence”

Positive vibes only!

Another old post – Summer 2023 Cobweb has been ailing for quite some time now. She was always an inordinately hefty hen — solid, reassuringly weighty in the hand, the sort of bird you never worried about. Then, slowly, that changed. After a couple of bouts of sour crop, the weight began to fall awayContinue reading “Positive vibes only!”

Besties

Just catching up, this post is actually from summer 2023 It’s a beautiful sunny summer Sunday morning here in Barnsley and the girls are out and about free ranging and sunbathing in the fresh air. I have a very mixed flock now, only Princess Layer from the first girls, Holly and Mistletoe from the BerryContinue reading “Besties”

Choose your friends carefully

The new girls have been with us a few days, their combs are reddening up and they are starting to get use to their surroundings, but we’ve had a bit of an issue. Little Eggatha is small and weak, she limps a bit and is very nervous. Dorothy, on the other hand, is large, strongContinue reading “Choose your friends carefully”

Put yourself first

Cruella has had a few weeks in isolation getting over a very bad respiratory infection. I have to say, she hasn’t been the best of patients, she likes to be out and about, and particularly hates having liquid dropped down her throat, and is very vocal about it (luckily I have lovely neighbours). But lastContinue reading “Put yourself first”

Natural Recovery

Its been a stressful couple of days here at Cluckingham Palace, on Monday morning we woke to a very ill hen. Poor Cruella was gasping for every breathe when I went to let the littles out of their coop. A quick call to the vets and they could see her at lunchtime, so we isolatedContinue reading “Natural Recovery”

Pushing your Boundaries

The littles have been with us a full week now. They are settling in brilliantly and I’m already learning their individual characters. Yolko, although small, takes the leadership position, they are a tight knit group and tend to stick together.Karhen is the most inquisitive, regularly joined on her chicken adventures with her trusty sidekick Cruella.Continue reading “Pushing your Boundaries”

Biting off more than you can chew

So, the new girls arrived yesterday morning, they were rescued by a lovely family back in May, but complaints from the neighbours necessitated a rehome, so Karhen, Cruella de Quill and Yolko Oh No (collectively “the littles” because they are much smaller than my older girls) have come to live with us. The girls areContinue reading “Biting off more than you can chew”