The Chickenfest continues...

Sorry, folks but the excitement level due to our new arrivals is still so high that I can't help it!

And it's not just me who's heart is all of a flutter for these gorgeous girls, honest...

The ladies take their first 'free' stroll around their new home

Queenie and Delia showing off their best side...

I'm going to have to watch that Delia - she is a diva and no mistake...if anyone attempts a flying break out, it will be her!

"Excuse me, have you applied for a paparazzi licence?"

I was discussing with a hen keeping friend this morning, the swiftness with which Butterscotch the Rhode Island Red managed to achieve her 'chief in charge' position.  She said she wasn't surprised as they are known for their 'confidence'...and to be honest I couldn't think of a more apt description for this bird from what we've seen so far.  She is certainly confident!  Not only with the other birds but also with us mere humans, and in particular the children.

They are desperate to 'practice' their chicken handling (cuddling?) skills, and I have to be quite stern at times to remind them the difference between calmly following a hen and picking her up, and actually chasing her around!  But Butterscotch is remarkably patient and tolerant of their clumsy manoeuvres, and so she is proving a good trainer.

Margot, in a brief moment of respite between 'cuddles'

Interestingly Margot - in the lower half of the pecking order at the moment - also has proved to be amenable to the children's regular 'handling', although sadly for L, his personal choice of pet chicken Bluey the Fenton Blue is still the shyest and almost impossible to get hold of.

But all in all, considering they have been with us barely 2 days, all the ladies are coming out to chat and wander around happily when we are nearby or in the enclosure.  They have obviously been accustomed to being handled and chatted to.

In other news:

The site of the soon-to-be new wood shelter has been measured, drawn out, pondered and discussed and (since this photo was taken) cleared of assorted detritus in readiness for timber ordering and commencement during the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend.

I do hope my plans for us all to have the Saturday out at Powderham Castle enjoying Toby Buckland's Garden Festival haven't been sidelined in favour of being unpaid skivvy to the Engineer...perhaps I'll leave him to it and take the children by myself!

***STOP PRESS***

Crucial update for anyone who was concerned about the safety of my ladies whilst their first line of defence (the electric netting) was not working. It is now working!  Hurray hurray.  What a nice man - he was really quite perturbed that it could be the energiser not working properly, as they are normally the most reliable bit. Though he agreed with me as we troubleshooted together and I explained what we had done to try and identify where the problem was, that it did sound as if it was the energiser.  He organised to get a replacement sent out to me, and I was to return the faulty one, and I put the phone down.

And then I had a few thoughts...and then a few more... stimulated by something that he had said during our conversation.  And I switched it all back on and went out to have another look at the fence....Tested it with the fence tester - absolutely nothing still.  Tested the lead out cable with the fence tester - still no reading.

Then I took a deep breath, took off my wellies and stood in my socks on the grass, and put my hand on the fence...and Yes! Ouchy, it works!

So, a combination of a dud fence tester (now being replaced instead of the energiser!) and a schoolgirl error - with rubber boots on I was insulated from the earth so I wasn't getting the shock anyway!  I think that is what can be legitimately called a 'DIME BAR' moment!!! Well, my excuse is I barely scraped a C in GCSE Physics... the Engineer did Physics A Level!

So now the ladies are as protected as we can make them, short of bringing them into the house in the evening, so hopefully I might allow myself to sleep a bit more peacefully tonight, though still with all my fingers and toes crossed anyway x