Six tabards, hand knitted by a fellow ex battery hen keeper to help keep hens warm

During my investigations into keeping hens, it became apparent to me that battery hens will arrive looking pretty unkempt, and lacking more than a few feathers.  In the images I had seen of them - it seemed that predominately it was there breast and back feathers missing.  It occurred to me that coming from a temperature controlled environment, to my  a coop in my back garden, they might just suffer the cold.

Changing from the world they were used to, where they had lived in a tiny cage, had never seen the light of day, or heard the sounds of things we all take forgranted, where night and day were one, and the temperature remain the same, to keep them at optimum egg production rates, everything about their relocation was going to be a massive shock to their system, and stressful. I felt the least I could do was try and help keep them warm, hence the little tabards above; great aren't they. I might even embroider each with the hen's name - yes they are going to have names!

I have been told that some people paint their coops in pretty colours, roses around the door, Cath Kidston curtains, and window boxes of geraniums.  I am not sure I will go that far, but it is entirely possible I might!

So when's the big day you ask? Well according to an email I got this morning, I will be collecting them from a farm near Guildford, on Saturday, 5th March. *Gulps*  The coop and run were ordered earlier this week; they promised 2 - 3  working days for delivery. It arrives flat packed, so the noble iGit will be press ganged into service with his trusty power tools, and I will supervise and offer 'helpful advise' *smirks*

On the Bee-keeping  front,  I am having trouble tracking down a nucleus colony of  suitable bees at anything approaching a sensible price. If anyone has any ideas, do let me know.