Henny Penny Hen Houses blog

How To Keep Chickens Warm In The Snow

It’s March and snow has arrived in North Yorkshire again. Not a huge amount, but enough to turn things white. It all looks very pretty of course, and my son wants to go sledging (sorry Charlie, it’s no way deep enough for that). But my thoughts are about my chickens and how to make sure they are warm enough.

I’m ensuring my girls get some extra layers pellets during the day and also plenty of mixed corn in the afternoon. Because the mixed corn takes longer to digest they will go to roost in their Manor House with a full crop which will keep them warmer for longer. I also make sure that they have plenty of nesting box material so they are comfortable and warm when they lay their eggs, which some of my girls are still doing (bless ‘em).

The temperature here is just about -3 degrees Celsius at night. In my coop we pretty much have a full house, and so with their natural feather insulation my chickens are quite toasty - especially when they snuggle up together on their perches (which they always do anyway…even in the summer). In more extreme cold weather that is likely to remain for extended periods it may be advisable to consider a suitable heater. But to be honest, as long as your coop is dry, has adequate ventilation to let hot air out and is not draughty (a bad thing) then Mother Nature is quite capable of looking after her creations. With a little help from me of course!

Roll on spring!

And Now...It's The Alan Titchmarsh Show!

November has been an amazing start to our 3rd year. On the 3rd November we were featured on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV, with TV Vet Joe Inglis. This raised our profile on Google, Facebook and Twitter, and we even had a well-known Coronation Street ‘favourite’ one of our Tweets!

We have received lots of orders for Christmas presents from people who watched us on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, and have also been approached by various publications for editorial. So my special thanks to Alan Titchmarsh who went on to describe our chicken coops as ‘The Downtown Abbey of Poultry Houses’. His TV audience loved that, and so did I.

As I returned to Yorkshire that night I had the biggest smile on my face you could imagine, and felt very happy. Who could have known that rescuing a few ex-battery hens would lead me on such a wonderful adventure!

To see how I got on, click here.

Henny Penny At PATS 2014 In Harrogate

I've recently been busy with the follow-up work from having spent 2 days exhibiting at PATS in Harrogate which is the UK’s largest Pet industry trade show. Lots of great leads!

It was a very well attended show on both the Sunday and Monday. I’m delighted that we received so much interest - everyone loved the Chalet from the Farrow & Ball painted range of Henny Penny Hen Houses.

We’d been kindly invited to display one of our chicken coops by the Fancy Feed Company, who have developed their own scientifically formulated speciality feeds for chickens, ducks, geese and goats. I’m currently trialling some of their layers pellets and mixed corn on my own hens so will let you know how it goes.

Special thanks to Minty at Fancy Feeds for all your support!

It's Time To Varnish Your Henny Penny Thatched Roof

Just a quick reminder to all proud owners of a Henny Penny Hen House (or Duck House, Cat House or Goat House for that matter!) that it’s time to nip down to your local DIY store and purchase some good quality Yacht varnish.

Winter storms may seem a long time coming, and the prospect of lighting the BBQ and pouring a nice glass of red wine is very appealing. But when the weather is sunny and warm it's the perfect time to bring up the gloss on your thatch roof with two coats of varnish to protect it through the coming months.

And after you’ve finished….you can still reward yourself with that glass of wine. Go on, you deserve it!

Ouch – It’s National Flip-Flop Day!

It’s been lovely and sunny here in Yorkshire for the past two weeks, so probably like you I’ve been wearing my flip-flops and eating fresh strawberries. We always save the strawberry tops for our girls because they love them.

As it’s June and officially ‘Summer’ I decided to get my toe nails painted bright red. Perhaps I should have chosen a different shade, because when I went to give my girls their afternoon corn on National Flip-Flop day here in the UK (20th June 2014) I was naturally wearing my flip-flops. To my complete surprise they immediately started pecking my toes. My red toes must have looked like juicy strawberries on the move!

I’m sure they didn’t mean it, but ‘ouch’ it did hurt. From now on I pop my boots on when I visit the girls…

It’s Curtains For My Chickens!

A few weeks ago I wrote about how some of my chickens had got into the naughty habit of eating their eggs. Often this behaviour is stimulated by a calcium deficiency in a chicken’s diet.

However in this case my chickens have an excellent diet with plenty of food, water, grit and space to run around they keep doing it. Another reason could be boredom, but the danger is that if one starts to do it then others may follow so it’s important to break the cycle as soon as possible.

Previously I tried placing English mustard on old bread inside some egg shells to put them off, and this certainly seemed to produce positive results within days. Unfortunately it wasn’t too long before I began to see the tell-tale signs of eaten eggs again.

A change of strategy was called for. I figured that perhaps if they couldn’t see the eggs on display quite as easily then effectively temptation would be reduced. So I decided to make a curtain for the nesting boxes. I took some garden canvas (actually it was an old BBQ cover that had seen better days), cut it to size.n There was a little gap above the floor of the nesting boxes and also some vertical gaps so that the chickens could peer inside and know that it was still OK to enter to lay their eggs. Then I simply stapled it to the coop. Naturally this also made the nesting boxes much darker inside, as if the chickens were in their ‘bedroom’ with the curtains closed.

Amazingly I got instant results! It worked really well because rather than the girls only using 2 of the 4 nest boxes available to lay in – they now used all four. More importantly…the egg eating stopped completely!!

I only dare keep the curtain up for a week so as not to create any warm corners for red mite to move in. As canvas would be quite expensive to replace each time I clean the girls out, I’m now going to try it with a bin liner. But it certainly seem to have retrained the girls more effectively that the mustard trick, and reduced their egg eating habit.

Two New Stars At The Harrogate Flower Show

What a fantastic time we had at the 2014 Harrogate Flower Show!

Over 4 days we met over 700 chicken enthusiasts from Land's End to John O'Groats. Well, from Hampshire to Inverness anyway, which is almost the same.

Lots of them (and other exhibitors at the Show) came onto our stand to say they had heard our two 'shout-outs' on Radio 2 with Chris Evans and Anneka Rice. That means that probably over 12m people in the UK discovered that we'd taken two of our best behaved hens to be on the show with us - thanks Hope and Tulip! Hope is the ex-battery Rhode Island hybrid and Tulip is the blue flash buff orpington bantam.

The two superstar chickens are now safely home with the rest of our girls after three sleepovers in their Chalet on the Harrogate show ground.

And if you missed all the excitement why not catch up with all our best soundbites here!

Come And See Us At The Harrogate Spring Flower Show 2014!

We are looking forward to exhibiting our latest Henny Penny Hen House designs at the 2014 Spring Harrogate Flower Show at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

The show is on for 4 days from 24th – 27th April.

This is our second year hear and we're hoping for some excellent Yorkshire weather (ie not raining) to make this a great day out for everyone.

Come and have a chat with us about your ideal chicken coop, or indeed anything to do with chickens in general! We'll have some of our special Farrow & Ball hen houses too.

See us at stand GS042B (next to the show gardens and the VIP Marquee).

How To Stop Chickens Eating Their Own Eggs

I've recently found a lot of eaten eggs in my next boxes when I've gone to collect the eggs. My chickens all have plenty of grass, food, oyster shell grit, protein and water - so it's not because they are hungry!

Sometimes it can start when the shell of an egg is accidentally broken in your chicken coop nesting box. If a hen then pecks at it and decides that the contents inside are actually quite tasty, then you have a potential problem on your hands. If you leave the situation unchecked then it can become an everyday occurrence.

I decided to stop this naughty habit before any other chickens follow suit. There are a number of suggested methods you can find on the internet, but I can only personally vouch for the one I’ve tried.

For three days I carefully covered a small piece of bread in a thick coat of English mustard and placed it inside a clean but broken egg shell. Then I put it back into the nesting box to see what would happen.

So far, to my delight, the mustard filled eggs have been partially eaten yet all the other eggs have been left untouched! I did stop putting mustard eggs in for a couple of days, but then the eggs started to get eaten again so I resumed the process. It’s now a week later and there’s still no sign of any eaten eggs, so I’m going to stop doing it for a while and see what happens.

Other things you might consider are whether your chickens are bored, in which case why not give then a cabbage tied up with some string a try – they just love to peck at that! Also, ensure your nesting box always has plenty of soft bedding in, so that there is less chance of an egg breaking or cracking when it is laid. And lastly, if at all possible, go to collect your eggs more frequently – if the temptation of egg pecking is not staring then in the face all the time then they won’t have as much opportunity to peck!

Have You Ever Heard Chickens Laugh?

I went to let my girls out of their hen house the other morning, only to be greeted by a group of chickens with the giggles!

I could hardly hear myself think. Maybe they'd just told each other a 'why did the chicken cross the road' joke?

Click here to listen, and don't forget to turn the volume up - it's bound to bring a smile to your face!

Penny Makes Her Debut As A ‘Page 3’ Girl!

Yes it’s true – though thankfully with the cold weather I was able to keep all my clothes on! Last Saturday saw Henny Penny Hen Houses’ most recent piece of press coverage when I was featured extensively in the Yorkshire Post.

They very kindly put a picture of me and one of my girls on the front page of the main newspaper. Then in the ‘Country Week’ supplement about all things rural in Yorkshire I was emblazoned across the whole of the front page. Great stuff!

Then, when you turned to Page 3, we had a great page of images and editorial covering my transition from telecoms to chicken coops (such a natural career path) as well as some of the celebrity customers we have acquired along the way.

Although ‘only’ a regional newspaper, it is considered part of the staple informational diet in this part of the world, so a big thank you from me to journalist Chris Berry for giving Henny Penny and our efforts to encourage more people to re-home ex-battery chickens such wonderful coverage.

So, to all journalists and editors out there, please note that I am definitely available to talk ‘chicken’ (not turkey), but only if I remain tastefully covered up…even in warmer weather!

Time To Rescue Some More Ex-Battery Chickens

Spring is coming and we have put our name down to re home some more rescue hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust. We've just received the good news that we have a confirmed re-homing date of Saturday 15th February 2014.

The collection is from a farm in Sand Hutton near York (post code YO41 1LH).

So if you'd like to save some hens in the North Yorkshire area please contact the BHWT to register your details and you'll be given a time slot for collection. If you haven't tried this yet, please do as it is very rewarding.

I've already got my name down for 4 and I can't wait. When they first arrive they are likely to look rather dishevelled with few feathers left. However, within a few weeks of healthy living an ex-battery hen can turn into a beautiful lady just like in the image below!

And that's what makes it all worthwhile.

Christmas Comes Early For Surprise Celebrity Customer

We were recently delighted to be asked to deliver a surprise Christmas present of a Lodge hen house for singer and TV celebrity Peter Andre.

Emily, Peter’s girlfriend, planned the whole surprise including sneaking 3 chickens home.

The Lodge had to arrive at a certain time under cover of darkness at Peter’s house (well, it was midday really, but it sounds more exciting) whilst he was out. We then carefully unloaded it off the trailer and moved it into a secluded position in the garden so that it wouldn’t be seen by Peter on his return.

What a great idea for a totally memorable Christmas present with a difference. Now the whole family are looking forward to enjoying fresh eggs every day, and Peter’s even written all about it in his regular showbiz column, ‘PlanetPete’ in New! Magazine!!

How Chicken Moulting Affects Egg Production

As the colder weather approaches, most chickens stop laying their eggs. This is due to the reduced daylight hours. Chickens need around 14 hours of daylight per day to lay eggs regularly. But in winter they only see around 8 hours of daylight, which is insufficient to complete the egg production cycle.

At this time of year I also give my girls a drop of apple cider vinegar in their water as a tonic (only use a plastic drinker for this as it will corrode a metal one), along with some poultry spice mixed with bread and water. This is a lovely vitamin tonic, and will give them a healthy boost as well as helping things along generally.

I’m quite lucky because some of my girls continue to lay, though I can’t categorically say which ones. There may be more laying than I think, just less frequently. I don't tend to give my girls as many treats/scraps in the winter because it is really important that their nutrition is kept on an even balance at this time of year so that they stay healthy.

Some of my chickens are still in moult which is the process of shedding and renewing feathers. In the image below you can see that the chicken in the foreground has yet to grow back fully the feathers around her lower half, compared to the chicken in the background. This normally happens to adult birds once a year, though in some cases it can happen twice in one year. It’s a completely natural process inherent in most animals, and is designed by Mother Nature to ensure better protection during cold winters. When this happens, they stop producing eggs in order for their bodies to concentrate on replacing their plumage and to build up the body’s reserves of nutrients.

Moulting is nothing to worry about. In fact, if a chicken doesn’t moult then usually it means that it’s not a layer. For those that do then the good news is that after the process is completed their reproductive tract will have rejuvenated, so we should get even better eggs than before!

Happy 1st Birthday Henny Penny!

I can't believe that we are 1 year old already.

We’ve had a very exciting year and met lots of really great people. Their enthusiasm for keeping chickens has been a total joy to share, and every one of them has a raft of great experiences to share. What a lovely, loving community we poultry lovers are!

One particular business highlight has been the launch of our unique partnership with Farrow & Ball paints earlier this Spring. Since then over two thirds of our customers have selected the Farrow & Ball option to have their hen houses and pet chalets in their favourite colours.

Due to customer demand we also designed three new products to our existing range, namely the flat pack Chalet, a Pet Chalet for dog and cat lovers, and (for all gardeners out there) a ‘Potting’ House. Watch out for these on our website shortly.

Lastly, we were thrilled and humbled in equal measure to be awarded a GOLD AWARD for our stand and products at the prestigious Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in September. To get recognition from such a respected body is praise indeed, and made us feel that all our efforts were worthwhile.

Having delivered our products to all parts of the UK and most recently into Europe, I can’t wait to see what exciting events will unfold in the coming year. So, to all those who have helped us and encouraged us along our journey this far, I’d just like to say a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU!!

Top 7 Tips To Prepare Your Chicken Coop For Winter

As the nights begin to draw in, it’s time to start thinking about some of the things you can do in preparation for winter. Chickens need a clean, comfortable and draft free environment. So armed with a bit of commitment and a little elbow grease, here are my top tips for ensuring your girls are kept cosy this winter.

1. Deep Clean Your Hen House

First job is to clean the coop and everything inside it. Try and pick a dry but windy day and start early. Take out all removable items such as perches and any furniture or accessories. Remove all loose bedding etc as normal, and then hose down all surfaces and scrape off any droppings. Once cleared it’s time to start scrubbing! I use some soapy water together with a sharp edged scraper and a scrubbing brush. Be thorough!! When complete, leave all doors/ventilation open so that it can dry before bedtime.

Next it’s time to repeat this process for all the items you’ve removed. Let them dry outside in the sunshine and fresh air and then replace when dry. Make sure they all work OK and if not then arrange for them to be replaced.

2. Clean All Drinkers And Feeders

Luckily you’ll be in full scrubbing mode by now, so make sure any green algae or moss is removed from your drinkers and/or any caked on pellets or other foodstuffs so that they look as good as new. Rinse thoroughly and leave to dry. If you don’t already have spare drinkers and feeders then you should consider getting some. They always come in handy and are not too costly.

3. Inspect Your Coop

Now’s a great time review the overall structural integrity of your hen house. Check the base, the legs, ramps and doors. Are they still solid and secure? Do any hinges or latches need oiling? Make sure all screws and fixings are still in tight, and also look for any holes where drafts or rain or even vermin could enter. The same applies for any loose timbers. Have them repaired or things will only get worse.

For all timber housing, consider applying a quality wood preservative. This will protect your investment over the coming seasons.

Most importantly, you need to make sure the roof is sound and water-tight. If your roof is felt, check for any tears or holes and replace as necessary. I would always encourage people to replace a felt roof with an alternative material anyway (such as metal or bitumen corrugated panels), as these are less likely to encourage red mite infestation. If you have a Henny Penny hen house with a thatched roof, give this two coats of exterior yacht varnish to protect it and ensure it retains its sheen.

4. Is Your Ventilation Working?

Hen House ventilation helps to get rid of humid air and toxic ammonia. As there will be less hot air to deal with as temperatures drop, it is still critical to have proper airflow. However, you may consider partially closing some vents during winter if they are likely to cause drafts as we don’t want our girls to catch a chill. But don’t close your vents off altogether, as this will cause humidity levels to rise which is just what viruses and bacteria like!

5. Check for Vermin

Look for signs of any predators and ensure you have some protection such as bait boxes in an appropriately safe place.

6. Is Your Fencing In Good Order?

Check all your fencing to make sure there are no holes to let animals in or out. If you have any wire mesh that has seen better days, replace it. You should also check your chicken run in the same way.

7. Check Your Connections

If you have water or even electricity plumbed into your coop then check all your connections to make sure they are tight and working properly. For water pipes, now is the time to ensure that any exposed pipes are insulated before the frost comes. In extreme cold you may need to consider using a heat lamp and a water de-icer, so think about sourcing these items if you don’t already have them. Having said that my own chickens have experienced temperatures of -10 °C with no need for a heat lamp.

Once you’ve completed these tasks you can pat yourself on the back and pour yourself a large glass of wine (please don’t do this in the wrong order), safe in the knowledge that your girls will be healthy and happy this winter!

Henny Penny At The Harrogate Flower Show

Having been invited to exhibit at the prestigious Harrogate Flower Show, which takes place twice a year on the world famous Great Yorkshire Showground in the North of England. My team and I had all worked hard to get things ready in time for the set-up day last Thursday.

Exhibitions and shows are always demanding, but once you’re there then they’re usually a lot of fun. This year was no exception, with 38,000 people attending over 3 days we hardly had a moment to draw breath!

We were busy non-stop from the moment the gates opened at 9.30am until they closed at 5.30pm. I’m not complaining though, we did some great business and met a lot of really lovely people from all age groups. We even received a Gold Award for our stand design and products, which was both unexpected and wonderful in equal measure.

In addition to our hen houses (and two Blue Flash Buff Orpingtons who behaved impeccably) we also brought along some brand new products – a Pet Chalet (for a posh pooch or cat, or maybe even a rabbit) and a Potting House, the latter being a great hit with our gentlemen visitors. One chap in particular eyed it longingly, then turned to me and said ‘this is a quality shed for quality contemplating’. At least now his wife knows what to buy him for Christmas!!

Final Farewell To 'Fluffy Fat Bottom'

Last week was an incredibly sad one for me. My very first and most beautiful chicken, Fluffy Fat Bottom, died of old age.

We rescued Fluffy as an ex-battery chicken. She came to live with us together with three other girls just over three and half years ago. She got her name when my son Charlie saw her for the first time, because she had more feathers than the other poor girls, and most of them seem to be around her rear. He simply said ‘Mummy, we will call this one Fluffy Fat Bottom, and the name stuck’.

You will see pictures of fluffy fat bottom (she is the healthy looking rusty red hen) throughout the Henny Penny website. In fact she’s on almost every photo...camera-shy she was not! Not only did she love going to shows with us to help demonstrate our hen houses, but she was a total natural when it came to doing a photo shoot. I think she probably was the most professional and patient chicken I will ever know.

I remember this summer a friend brought four abandoned blackbird chicks for us to look after. Fluffy was the only chicken to show any interest, and she would sit next to the pen in which they were in all day as if to keep guard over them.

Fluffy literally changed my life because I had never had chickens before. She had such a lovely personality that I felt compelled to not only design the perfect hen house for her to enjoy her later years in, but I also made copious notes of the funny little things she used to do. I’m putting this together into a children’s picture book to be called ‘The Tales of Fluffy Fat Bottom’. I’ve never written a book before, but I hope to get it published in order to explain from a chicken’s point of view how life looks and some of the hilarious adventures they can get up to! Of course I will now do this in memory of Fluffy.

If you have a particularly wonderful chicken that’s touched your heartstrings, please let me know and why she is so special.

I'm sure that if it wasn't for a chicken called Fluffy Fat Bottom, Henny Penny Hen Houses wouldn't have happened. Fluffy was really rather special. I realise it’s all part of the natural cycle of life but I do miss her terribly. She was a true friend to me, and I loved her.

God bless you Fluffy.

How To Treat Scaly Leg In Chickens

Recently I noticed that 5 of my 22 girls appeared to have scaly leg mite.

None of my flock has had this before, so I decided to act quickly to prevent them from all becoming infected with this nasty, irritating little mite. They get under the scales of a chicken’s legs and gorge away, which has the result of lifting the scales away from the leg. They can also attack the wattle, where you may see little black dots and in some cases spots of blood.

Having checked with my Vet I bought some ‘Nettex Just For Scaly Leg Spray’ and Boots own brand petroleum jelly (cheaper than the leading brand!). The spray contains only natural ingredients and so you can continue to enjoy the eggs. If you choose any other treatment then please check carefully as you may need to discard any eggs produced for 1 week after the final application.

It took one of us to hold each chicken safely, while the other gave 4-5 squirts of the leg spray to each chicken’s foot to stop any irritation. Then we gently applied plenty of petroleum jelly. Although a few of the girls were quite tricky to catch they all seemed to enjoy the free foot massage! Apparently, if done once a week for several weeks the spray and jelly will eventually suffocate the nasty mites, while the raised dry scales will fall off their legs to reveal new slightly pink scales/skin.

As with any mite infestation including red mite, the next step was to make sure that our Manor House chicken coop got an extra deep clean. When dry we used various anti-mite products in all the nooks and crannies to make sure we got rid of all unwanted guests!

I have to say that the required treatment is not a particularly pleasurable task, but needs must in order to address this annoying mite problem and to protect those who have not yet been affected.
There are some people who recommend dipping their legs into surgical spirit, diluted tea tree oil or even creosote. I can only imagine how much any of those might sting and so couldn’t do it to my girls.

Using a natural spay and petroleum jelly may take a little longer, but at least its more humane. Only thing now is I’m not sure how we can stop the clean wood shavings from clinging to the girls sticky legs!

Can 2 Cockerels Live Together?

We had a bit of a surprise the other day when we discovered we had a second cockerel! This was not by choice, I can assure you, as this Maran cockerel came to us originally as a ‘point of lay’ chicken.

Our suspicions became aroused one day when we saw our #1 cockerel Henry going for his regular afternoon constitutional in our garden (away from our designated chicken area). This time he had company.

We thought his companion was just one of his girlfriends, and made a mental note to clip her wing so she couldn’t fly over the gate. But then it started to become a regular occurrence and on closer investigation it was clear – Henry had a new buddy (who we’ve since called Tom).

I had heard that if you get two cockerels they will fight till the death. However, Henry and Tom seem perfectly at ease in each other’s company. This could be due to a number of reasons:

- they have quite a large area where they are free to wander

- we have a reasonably sized flock of 22 hens

- they live in our largest chicken coop, the Manor House

Even though Henry and Tom weren’t brought up together from chicks, Henry clearly doesn’t see Tom as a threat. I think because Tom came along after Henry had established himself, he obviously understands it’s better to play second fiddle – and he seems happy with that. Again, I’ve heard people comment that Maran cockerels can be very nasty, but our Tom seems perfectly placid.

Mind you, we did bring him up as a ‘girl’!

Henny Penny Arrives At The Farmers Cart

We are delighted to announce that our hen houses are now available to buy at the Farmers Cart in Strensall near York, England. Currently we have our brand new ’Chalet’ design on display in both natural timber finish as well as our very first Farrow & Ball hand-painted special edition.

The Chalet is a high quality flat-pack chicken coop that, thanks to its ingenious design, can be assembled in less than 15 minutes – and that’s assuming you are (like myself) no DIY expert! The Farmer’s Cart have them in stock, so if you see them and want one you can drive away with it (assuming your vehicle has a reasonably sized load area).

It’s a really popular day out for families and school trips alike. We’re both Yorkshire companies that focus on quality and service, so I’m very happy that we’re working together.

If you would like to have a closer look at our products in the flesh, and are in the North Yorkshire area, then why not pop in to the Farmer’s Cart – it’s a great day out!

Henny Penny Hen Houses Launches Exclusive Farrow & Ball Range

Exciting news – we've just launched an exclusive partnership with globally renowned craftsmen in paint and paper, Farrow & Ball!!

Like a lot of people I’ve always been a big fan of Farrow & Ball’s distinctive colours. And then one day it struck me – how about we offer our poultry housing in their exceptional quality paints? Could there be some synergy? I mean after all, any company that can come up with product names such as ‘Elephant’s Breath’ and ‘Mouse’s Back’ clearly likes to stand out from the crowd!

I’m really pleased with how things have gone. Farrow & Ball have been great to work with and I’m absolutely delighted with how our first Farrow & Ball special edition hen house has turned out. We prepared one of the new Chalet chicken coops in ‘Brassica’ and complemented this with ‘Skimming Stone’ for the window and facias.

A few days later we completed a new photo shoot in idyllic conditions, and got some really special images. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do – let me know what you think.

So it looks like you can now have eggshell on the outside as well as the inside!

Henny Penny at Ripley Castle Summer Grand Sale 13th to 16th June 2013

Henny Penny has been invited to exhibit at Ripley Castle’s ‘Grand Summer Sale’ from Thursday 13th - 16th June.

This event has long been a top in the North of England, with 150+ companies displaying original and stylish products you won't find on the high street.

As this is our first time at the delightful Ripley Castle we’d love you to drop by and say ‘Hello’! We promise everyone a warm welcome and you can see our lovely hen houses. Plus there’s a surprise…our very first painted hen house will be on display…of which we’ll be making a big announcement shortly!!

Countryside Live Show 2013

Recently Henny Penny was invited to exhibit at the Countryside Live Show at Ledston estate in West Yorkshire.

We took 3 of our best behaved chickens (including Fluffy Fat Bottom) to model our forthcoming new 'Chalet' hen house, which has been designed with schools and families in mind, looking to keep either 3 or 4 chickens.

Our #1 professional ex-battery hen 'Fluffy Fat Bottom' stepped up to the plate (so to speak) in order to show the other two hens how best to display the luxurious hen houses and runs.

The girls were fabulous! They not only laid eggs the day after their 'sleepover' at Ledston over the two days, but they also met around 600 school children who were able to hold or stroke a chicken or egg for the first time. Everyone behaved impeccably, and the school children did well too!

In fact many of the kids were from inner city schools, so they had never had the opportunity to see chickens close up before. We let some of them stroke Fluffy Fat Bottom (who didn't mind at all), and we explained the benefits of free range chickens and eggs. We also craked open one of our eggs and a supermarket egg on the same plate, and asked them to point out the free range egg. I'm pleased to say that most could see the difference straight away!

The children and teachers loved our new hen house and all voted to have one of our hen houses and chickens at each of their schools!

Habits Of Henry The Cockerel

Henry is our very special cockerel who came to live with us about two years ago. His first home was with a lady who kept chickens in the city of York. However, whilst her neighbours seemed able to tolerate the odd clucking of hens, the full-on crowing of Henry was a totally different matter.

Luckily I overheard Henry’s plight being talked about at a friend’s drinks party, and within a couple of days he was packing his flight bag and making his way to meet up with my girls.

Now my girls had never mixed with a cockerel before (cockerels are kept away from battery hens as the farmers do not want their eggs to be fertilised). Come to that, neither had I. But after a little research and talking to a few people I was reassured that nature would take its course and Henry would soon establish himself. In fact it was instantaneous – and after a few days it was like he’d been there from the start.

For example, twice a day (at 11 o’clock and at half past two in the afternoon) handsome Henry flies up on to the top of our Manor House chicken coop to crow his socks off! Even though he’s 16 miles away from his original home, I really think he thinks all the American tourists that visit York every year can still hear him!

Although he makes me laugh he is also a complete gentleman. If one of the chickens strays away from their safe area he will stay with her until we notice and put her back into the run area. In the morning he always comes out of the hen house last, after all the girls, which I think is very polite and considerate. And he’s also super-fast. We have never been able to catch Henry - he is faster than the fastest thing from fast land! But we love him.

Got Chickens? Get Garlic!

Unless you're closely related to a vampire, garlic is generally considered to be good for just about everyone – including chickens. As well as helping to improve their appetite and the size and quality of their eggs, it’s great for treating infections and respiratory problems too.

You don’t have to use it all the time of course, but it won’t harm your girls if you do. I usually keep a couple of fresh raw cloves in their drinker for two weeks and then have a week off before refreshing with new garlic again. Primarily my intention is to use the garlic as a preventative measure to enhance the chickens’ overall wellness, and it definitely works (touch wood, we’ve had no health issues in the past 3 years that I’ve been using it). BTW, I've found it particularly beneficial with ex-battery hens.

Garlic helps to support the immune system, so even if a chicken is ailing it can assist the chicken’s capable body to heal itself. This wonder vegetable (and herb) is reputed to be a great antibiotic, as well as having antifungal and anti-worm/parasite properties. In short, it’s a great immunity boost!

This is not to say that it is a cure all for every ailment going, but can certainly be used to provide additional support in more serious cases. You can put garlic as full cloves or chopped up into either a galvanized drinker or a plastic one. However, if you want to add cider apple vinegar then you must only use a plastic drinker.

I love cooking with garlic and eating garlic flavoured food. But I have never ever felt that my girls’ eggs have tasted of garlic as a result of having it in their water, so no issues there. And there’s one other benefit…after a few weeks of use, the sulphur from chicken's droppings is reduced which will make your chicken coop smell ‘better’!

Why Do You Get Double Yolk Eggs?

Ever wondered how double yolkers sometimes happen? Or is it a case of no joke with a double yolk?

It’s generally good news for us egg lovers, but what actually causes this phenomenon? Typically they are laid by young chickens whose productive cycle is not fully functioning in the right way. If ovulation occurs too rapidly then one yolk can get misplaced and then joined by the next yolk.

If you look at the picture below you’ll see that this one of mine was a full 7cm (3.8 inches) tall, and it was pretty wide too. I’ve often wondered if it causes the hens any discomfort when they lay such whoppers. But thanks to Mother Nature, it doesn’t actually harm the chicken. It will probably mean that she will have less eggs to lay in her life so, but there’s not much you can do about it. Eventually her body will sort out itself out in time, while you can continue to enjoy bountiful breakfasts!

And if two yolks are a challenge, what about a triple yolker? I’ve not seen one myself but you can get them, even though they must almost be as rare as hens’ teeth. Has anyone got any interesting double or triple yolker experiences to share - I'd love to know?

Improving Chicken Welfare

I’ve always thought that my chickens were very content. They’ve got a lovely large area of grass to wander around in, get a balanced diet of food and nutrients, and of course have their spacious Henny Penny Manor House coop in which to lay their eggs and roost safely at night.

Egg productivity is pretty reasonable all in all, so I guess that’s one measure of their happiness. They also taste delicious, so that must be another. However, research carried out by the University of Bristol suggests that the wellbeing of barn chickens is increased if they have stimulation from activity objects such as perches and pecking blocks.

Leading UK supermarket, Morrisons, commissioned a study where 120,000 birds were observed from birth to determine whether the chickens appeared to be positively occupied, calm, bored, depressed, content or tense. Or in other words, to find out which measures made a genuine difference to the welfare of chickens.

The results showed that with activity objects, perches and daylight, chickens were more confident and active and have a greater wellbeing when able to live in housing that contains windows, perches and bedding.

When I designed the Henny Penny range of poultry housing I always had in mind that I would do my bit to re-home ex-battery hens. Because of that I wanted to ensure they had as comfortable and enriched environment as possible, not just because I believe it is good practice, but also because of the unpleasant experiences they would have previously endured. So all my chicken coops have good sized windows, perches and copious amounts of bedding.

Whilst my own girls are free range and seem highly content, I am going to give some thought to designing a few activity units. I’d really like it if anyone can share their experiences and/or ideas of what has worked well for you – please share your comments below!

Easter Hen Party At The Sugar Mouse

Earlier this week we delivered one of Henny Penny's forthcoming chicken coop designs to the Sugar Mouse - a luxury confectionary shop and cafe in Easingwold, near York. It immediately became the star attraction of its Easter display.

Taking pride of place, the 'Chalet' hen house is suitable for 2-4 'girls'. It high quality 'flat pack' design takes only 15 minutes for a non-expert to build. In fact it's strictly stress free! Although not formally launched yet, it has already received a brilliant response from the Sugar Mouse's discerning clientele. We expect to have the Chalet available on http://www.hennypennyhenhouses.co.uk during April.

Once erected, Sugar Mouse owner Angela Spencer and her daughter Molly set to, and within minutes the Henny Penny Chalet was decorated with lots of delicious Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies for sale. And of course it had room for plenty of chocolate chickens and eggs inside!

Angela said, "I so excited about the Henny Penny hen house arriving in our shop. It's going to be perfect for displaying all our Easter chicks!" Molly added enthusiastically "I love the thatched roof and the little windows."

If you're planning to visit North Yorkshire this Easter, why not take a trip to Easingwold and pop into the Sugar Mouse.

Red Mites And How To Prevent Them

As we are approaching Spring and slightly warmer weather, it is time to start thinking about that perennial pest – the Red Mite!

Keeping your coop clean is vital to ensure your precious girls remain healthy. Depending on how cold winter has been, it’s likely that most red mite will have been killed off. However, you can never be too careful with these particular critters.

Red Mites are parasites that like to live hidden away in the cracks and corners of your chicken house. They are difficult to see as they appear after dark and, if left to their own devices, will jump onto the nearest chicken and feed on its blood. Left unchecked, they will soon get everywhere as it only takes 7 days for the Red Mite to hatch and reach full adulthood. Before you know it you’ve got a pest population explosion on your hands.

Places to check include the ends of perches where they join the coop, gaps between the window and the sill, in nesting boxes and any joins or cracks in the timbers. If your hen house roof is covered with felt then check this carefully – it is a favourite haunt of the Red Mite!

My Grandmother (who is a young 96 years of age) always tells me that prevention is better than cure. That’s why I always use a special disinfectant during my weekly coop clean. This can be either a liquid or a powder. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a steam cleaner then that is the ultimate solution, but for most people using one or more of the many professional anti-mite products is usually sufficient.

At the end of the day it’s all part of Mother Nature’s challenge, but if you keep your eyes peeled for activity and use preventative measures regularly then your girls will be protected against this little nastie!

More Press Coverage For Our Chicken Coops

It’s been a busy time at Henny Penny global HQ’s Press dept recently, with a flurry of activity from editors and feature writers looking to spread the word about our chicken coops to their respective readerships.

We’ve been featured in the March ‘13 edition of Living Yorkshire, as well as our local daily newspaper the York Press. And our latest PR success appears in one of the UK’s favourite lifestyle magazines, Homes & Gardens (April ’13). To find out more click here.

But we’re not resting on our laurels as there’s plenty more in the pipeline…stay tuned!

How To Keep Chickens Warm In The Snow

Roll on Spring!

Life's A Lot Easier On A Luxury Liner!

Cleaning out your chicken coop is one of the 'joys' of chicken ownership. There's no two ways about it - chickens poop and pee just like the rest of us and need to be cleaned out regularly. I usually recommend that this is done weekly, and for me the most convenient time is to do it on a Sunday. Severe weather can affect this, but the most I've ever left them is two weeks.

Of course to let them go on that long isn't ideal, but if you've got unrelenting torrential rain and/or snow, sometimes you just don't get the right window. On those rare occasions I do make sure that I top them up with clean bedding and some straw.

All Henny Penny Hen Houses are very solid, and you can simply put clean bedding straight onto the wooden floor. The floor will tend to get damp, but new bedding helps to dry this out. However, my latest 'top tip' is that I've now found a really easy and quick way to clean out my hen house - a chicken coop liner! I like things that are simple to use, and this is definitely one of those.

It's a heavy duty waterproof tarpaulin which fits easily onto the floor of my clean coop. Once laid, I just spread the wood shavings and straw over the top of the liner and into the corners of the house to make sure it's all nice and covered to a depth of about 1" - 1.5". The following week all I have to do is just step into the hen house and pick up all four corners of the liner and carefully lift it out. I tip the soiled contents straight on to my compost heap, and then wash the liner with water and a broom and let it dry over a gate before replacing it back in the hen house.

I find this method is about 75% quicker than having to sweep all the wood shavings and droppings out the old fashioned way. Now that's what I call a 'luxury liner'! At the same time the wooden floor of the house stays much drier, which is great for keeping red mite under control. I definitely recommend them.

Calendar Cockerels

Last Friday it was time to turn the over the next page over of our lovely Happy Egg Company calendar that's pinned up in the girls' chicken coop to reveal Mr February.

I had very high hopes for this gentleman to put a smile on my hens' faces because, as you can see, he's pretty cute! As with Mr January we received 11 eggs the next morning rather the average 8.

Then over the next few days we were back to 8 eggs each morning. However, yesterday we were into double figures again with 10. I wonder if it depends which chickens sleeps next to the picture? Are some girls looking the wrong way on their perches some nights? Do we need more than one calendar? Not sure what Henry, our cockerel in residence, thinks...I suspect he pretty chilled with it all. We will continue to monitor this fascinating theory and let you know.

Crow Prevention Invention

I was so annoyed by the cheeky crows pinching my fresh eggs while they were still warm that I decided to come up with something to deter them. I know scarecrows have been in existence for centuries, but I didn't have the items to hand or the time to build one of those. Instead I tied a long piece of 'cling-wrap' (the kind used in warehouses and factories to wrap things up prior to shipping) on one of the fence posts next to my hen house.

It's pretty exposed where we live so relying on the wind to blow is a fairly safe bet. And boy has it been windy of late, especially since the snow has gone. The cling-wrap has been doing its thing, flapping about like mad and making a nicely erratic noise into the bargain. Fingers crossed this does seem to have deterred the crows - I've only seen them there once over the past 3 days. Obviously on those rare days when there's no wind it's not going to work, but as we're still in winter I would expect it to be of some use most days for the next few months.

Anyway, I'm watching it carefully to see if it continues to deter these pests. My chickens don't seem to mind it at all, so that's not a problem. If you fancy trying something like this yourself and don't have access to any cling-wrap, you could simply cut some black bin bags or old supermarket bags into long strips and tie them together. This will create a long strip of light material which will blow about and make some noise.

Please post a comment to let me know how you get on, or any other suggestions that work well for you. And finally, don't forget to tie them together tightly as we certainly don't want to litter the countryside with carrier bags!

Calendar girls

I recently received my 'Nice Pecks' 2013 calendar from the Happy Egg company, who provide free range eggs to supermarkets. This is a beautifully produced calendar containing 12 rather wonderful and exquisite cockerels - one per month.

This is fascinating because apparently the company has research that suggests that when chickens have a cockerel within their flock they become calmer and therefore happier! But because eggs sold in supermarkets must not be fertilised, commercial egg producers cannot allow a cockerel to mix with their chickens. So they came up with the idea of this colour calendar to be placed within their chicken sheds for the girls to dream about.

I decided to put this to the test (even though we do actually have our very own feathered pin-up - Henry). And so I put the calendar up in my Henny Penny Manor House a week ago last Monday. I positioned it at perch height so that the girls can look at it before they go to sleep, and again when they wake up next to him in the morning.

Now in these wintry conditions I have normally been getting about 8 eggs per day. Would you believe it that when I went down to open up the hen house the following morning I collected 11 eggs, which is an 'eggstroadinary' increase of 37.5%!!! I guess that proves they must love Mr January. OK, I know it's not exactly an experiment carried out under strict scientific controls, but I can't wait until they meet Mr February. Let's see if he can keep it up!

STOP THIEF!

We have about 3 inches of snow here in North Yorkshire and its -7 degrees Celsius. So pretty cold for us humans, but not too bad for the girls, thanks to their lovely warm down feathers. They really do keep them warm.

However, having a blanket of snow means there's not much food about for other birds to find. When I heard that bad weather was forecast I put out some wild bird seed, fat balls and nuts in bird feeders. Of course I didn't put anything out for larger birds like crows, as I don't want to encourage them. Maybe I need to re-think that one as some cheeky crow has been helping himself to fresh eggs for breakfast by walking up the ramp, bold as brass, into my hen house. Tell-tale signs include:

1: an apparent reduction in eggs laid (though in isolation you might just put that down to the inclement weather).

2: straw and bedding removed from each nesting box and dumped in the middle of the hen house floor.

3: pot and rubber eggs found mysteriously outside the hen house (chickens would never do that).

4: possibly some broken egg shells outside.

I haven't managed to get a picture of them in the act yet, so I've just attached a library shot of a crow keeping watch. However, I am thinking of putting a webcam inside the chicken coop to catch them at it, and if I do I'll post the video so you can see these thieves in action.

How can you stop them? Well I heard someone saying that you could put a rubber egg inside a rat-trap and wait for the crow to visit again. Well I'm certainly not going to be trying that one out, it's probably not even legal. Besides, what if an inquisitive chicken decided to stick its head into the trap? It doesn't bear thinking about.

I've also heard of using a plastic model of a hawk to scare the crows away. Has anyone tried this method or any other less dramatic ideas? If so, please post a comment and share the knowledge! And in the meantime, if you notice your girls are laying fewer eggs than expected, take a careful look inside the coop for clues...it might just be some crows!

New girls It's Time To Meet The Old Girls

I've been really pleased with my new 'shed - coop' that I got last November. As its name suggests it's a custom built shed that I use to store all of my chicken paraphernalia (feedstuff, healthcare products, bedding etc), but it has a section at one end that is actually a chicken coop.

The purpose of this is to allow us to take on new birds, either ex-battery hens or new 'point of lay' hens and keep them separated from our main Henny Penny hen house where our older girls live. The shed-coop has a pop-hole door at one end which connects directly to a fenced off area for them to wander around in. The older girls often come up to this fence to have a look at their future housemates, but the new girls are protected from any pecking order issues thanks to the sturdy fence.

This is an important period for the birds to regain some strength before meeting the rest of our girls. We fed them crumb initially to help their general health, feather growth and egg production.

In the second week I began to mix this with some layers pellets, just to get them used to it gradually. They always need plenty of fresh water, approximately one litre each per day. And I also used some grit in a bowl to help digest their food. Our eight new girls were looking great so it was time to meet the rest of the flock.

The best way to do this is by putting the new birds into the main Manor House coop just before dusk. Then the established birds will follow a little later to roost and they all settle down together quietly. As always, it worked a treat! Next morning when they came out of the hen house they all seemed to be one big happy family. The only extra thing I needed to do was to make sure the new girls were going into the correct hen house.

Sure enough, I found four of them trying to find their way back to the shed-coop! No problems - I simply needed to re-program their 'chick-nav' and encouraged them back to the Manor House. In they went, quite happily. The next night they went in by themselves. Mission accomplished - now I'm looking forward to collecting even more fresh eggs in the next week or so!

Cover girls!

We were recently asked to supply a photo of our cute small ‘Croft’ hen house for the cover of a national magazine. They asked us to get plenty of blue sky and sunshine in the background, and have several chickens scratching about in front of it. Sounds easy, doesn't it!

Bearing in mind that this was a week ago now, and pretty much the whole of the UK has seen nothing but torrential rain and floods during the last two months, finding a sunny day was going to be a challenge. Then we got a rare dry weather forecast for a couple of hours over one lunchtime. We mobilised everyone to get the chickens together and got the hen house loaded onto a teleporter to take it to the top of a hill in our field. Although the 'Croft' can be moved around quite easily, the hill was a long way to walk and time was against us. Even though everyone involved was super efficient, the whole thing still took the best part of 45 minutes to come together.

We’d already decided where we were going to take the shots, which had some glorious blue sky above it. I made a dash for the big cardboard box that I used to transport our last batch of 4 ex-battery hens home in, and quickly selected some ‘well behaved’ chickens to star in the photo before the clouds arrived.

That's when I realised that chickens don't forget! As soon as they spotted the big box they all ran for the hills, flapping and clucking. Poor girls! Eventually I managed to persuade four of them that it was just a quick adventure and that they would be back in time for corn for tea. After that they were brilliant. Unfortunately, the weather began to turn, and although the sky saw some dramatic cloud formations, the moment had passed for a super sunny shoot on this occasion. As we were there we took some shots for our own use anyway.

This is my favourite - it's a bit moody! What do you think?

Support the BHWT’s campaign for Production Method labelling in the EU

Here at Henny Penny Hen Houses we have long been supportive of all the good work carried out by the British Hen Welfare Trust. Their latest campaign aims to support British egg farmers who farm to high welfare standards and, importantly, who desire to continue to improve.

Quoting from the BHWT website: The BHWT supports British egg farmers farming to high welfare standards, and wants to see farming remain strong in the UK where there is a desire to continue to improve welfare standards for laying hens. We have supported the EU laying hen’s directive, but following its implementation there is now a competitive threat to the EU egg industry from food manufactures choosing to use eggs produced in either non-compliant production systems in the EU and/or manufactured from conventional ‘battery’ cage production systems outside of the EU.

These issues have been highlighted as major areas of concern by the British Egg Industry Council, British Free Range Egg Producers Association, British Egg Products Association, NFU Cymru and a UK parliamentary committee investigating the implications of the welfare of egg laying hen’s directive for the egg industry.

To counteract this problem, we are seeking political support for the implementation of a production method labelling scheme for foods with egg as an ingredient across the EU. This campaign is supported by the British Egg Industry Council. We propose such a scheme would require manufactures to add country of origin and production method labelling information to ingredients list by name i.e. Ingredients: barn egg (UK), free-range egg (UK), colony egg (UK), conventional caged egg (non-EU).

Such a labelling scheme will inform consumers of the welfare provenance of the egg within their food and minimise the impact of egg product produced in either non-compliant systems within the EU or conventional caged systems outside of the EU, being on sale in the EU and undermining compliant egg farmers. We require your help to gain support from politicians in the UK (MPs & MSPs) and Europe (MEPs) to adopt production method labelling for foods with egg as an ingredient.

Please visit the BHWT website to give your support for this campaign.

They have made it really easy by producing an excellent standard letter template for you to send to your local MP/MEP. The more vocal we can be collectively, the more likely we will continue to see improvements in conditions for laying hens, as well as clearly informing customers exactly where and under what conditions the eggs they are considering purchasing were produced.

Thank you – I shall be sending my letter off today!

What does 'Free Range' actually mean?

Free range eggs sold in supermarkets are commercially produced. No big surprise there. But did you know that the conditions and regulations relating to commercial free range egg production are still pretty unpleasant?

Most of us are willing to pay a premium for free range eggs believing that the birds have a better quality of life than caged birds. Unfortunately that's not the case and the public are being led up the garden path with images of beautiful hens happily clucking around a field.

On January 1, 2012 the rules on internal stocking density in the UK changed for longstanding producers. An EU directive was introduced on August 3 1999 reducing the stocking rate for free range egg producers from 11.7 hens per square metre to nine hens per square metre by the end of 2011.

To visualise this, mark out a square meter on the ground and then imagine 9 hens in there. Yes it is an improvement on the tortuous conditions faced by battery hens, but it’s hardly idyllic. Should these really be called ‘free range’?

Not when you compare them to the ‘real’ free range eggs you see being sold down many a country roadside. These have been produced by happy hens who have the space to roam around outside, enjoy the sunshine (and rain) and the odd dust-bath in a stress-free environment. They are not over-stocked, don't have half their feathers missing or brutalised beaks. These are proper free range eggs in the true sense. And don’t forget, happy chickens lay the most delicious eggs of all.

Perhaps the supermarket’s ‘free range eggs’ should be re-named ‘limited range eggs’. Doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?

It’s Bedtime Girls

Around 4.30pm after a sunny November day in North Yorkshire, the light was starting to fade. Time to see what the new girls were up to. The good news was that they were no longer trying to hide under the fence. They had eaten most of their food and drunk plenty of water. But it was getting pretty dark and they were still mooching around outside.

Just like in the morning when we had to ‘teach’ them how to leave their protective coop for the first time, they now had to learn to return to their hen house and roost. So, after a little Laurel and Hardy style chasing around, I decided that it would be better to pick each one up individually and push them through their pop-hole door.

One by one we carefully put them inside the door. Of course they wanted to come straight back out again, so I put Charlie on guard duty to shoo them back in until I brought the next one over.

5 minutes later…job done. The following day they were out as soon as we opened their door, running straight to their food and water. And when night came later that day, to my delight, they remembered to go inside into their safe, snugly coop. So, who says chickens are dumb? Not my girls!

We Need More Eggs

Our eggs are so popular with friends and neighbours, that we decided that we really need to get some more chickens to keep up with the demand. Luckily we have plenty of room in our spacious Henny Penny 'Manor House' coop for some more pampered chicks!

At the weekend we collected some 15 week old 'posh' chickens from a local breeder, to go with our flock of ex-battery hens. It was quite surprising just how much calmer these chicks were compared to the ex-battery girls. We got a few Marans which have beautiful black and pale grey speckled feathers that are very soft and white legs.

We also got a few hybrid chicks which are a mixture of white and ginger in colour, very pretty and great layers. As soon as we got them home my son Charlie couldn't wait to lift them out of our homemade transportation box, before putting them straight into their separate 'chick' house with some fresh water. This is just until they are old enough to meet the established flock and slot into the 'pecking order'.

Next morning we opened the pop-hole door so that they could come out into the sunshine to stretch their legs and have some chick crumb which will help them to grow etc. Despite more than a little encouragement they didn’t want to venture into the ‘scary’ outside world. So I had to pick them up one by one and take them outside and into the separately fenced-off area we have set-up to keep them from mixing with the older girls.

Still, once they had got used to the fresh air and sunshine outside they seemed happy enough for now, as they eventually stuck their necks out and started to explore their new home.

Question is…will they know where to go and what to do when it’s time for bed tonight??

New website is launched to early Media interest

it's been a busy start to the week as yesterday we saw the full PR launch of the www.hennypennyhenhouses.co.uk website.

We combined this with a targetted media campaign covering both printed and electronic media. To my delight we had 2 immediate requests for interviews and photos, with other promises of coverage.

I can't mention any names for now, but will let you know when it happens - all very exciting. But for me it's not just about building attractive and desirable poultry housing, it's much bigger than that. It's very much about giving ex-battery chickens the loving and healthy quality of life they deserve, and to encourage others into the pleasures of rehoming them.

If this is something you are considering then please take a look at some helpful tips on saving ex-battery chickens.

A snowy surprise for the Henny Penny hens!

North Yorkshire received its first snowfall last Saturday night. As it fell silently overnight onto the thatched roof of the Henny Penny 'Manor House', our chickens stayed nice and warm as they huddled together on their perches.

Next morning, the girls were so funny as they looked out of their windows waiting for me to come around the corner with their breakfast. I suppose it’s just like ordering room service in an hotel! Some of them stepped out rather gingerly, not having seen snow before. But they soon got used to it.

We’ve have just moved our chickens in to a newly fenced area in a field behind our garden. The coop is on newly formed hard standing, and the fencing is 5ft high to keep Mr Fox out. We have also dug the wire under the fence to a depth 1ft so that we can keep out badgers and any other unwelcome visitors. But even if they did manage to get into our new chicken area, they wouldn’t be able to get to the girls thanks to how sturdy the hen house is.

The next security measure will be to fit an electric fence…more on that shortly. I hope you agree that it looks so lovely topped with crisp white snow on the roof?

Time to introduce the new girls to our flock

Over the last two weeks we've kept the four new ex-battery hens (that we picked up from the British Hen Welfare Trust) safely separated from the rest of our flock. This is an important period for the birds to regain some strength before meeting the rest of our girls.

We've fed them ex-battery crumb to help their general health, the regrowth of their feathers and of course egg production. In the second week I begin to mix some layers pellets in the ex-battery crumb just to get them used to it gradually.

They always need plenty of fresh water, approx a litre each per day. And they also need some grit in a bowl to help digest their food and strengthen their own egg shells (soft egg shells can occasionally be an issue, but it wasn't with these girls).

I'd seem some noticeable improvement in how they looked and overall they seemed happy, so it was time to meet the rest of the flock. The best way to do this is by putting the new birds into the main hen house just before dusk. Then the established birds will follow a little later to roost as normal, and they all settle down together quietly.

You can get some squabbling, but this time it worked a treat! Next morning, when they came out of the hen house, they all seemed to be one big happy family. Lester, Andrea, Morgan and Henny Penny now have some new friends, and I can look forward to collecting even more fresh eggs!!

Freedom!

Last weekend I rescued 4 more ex-battery chickens, thanks to Wendy at the British Hen Welfare Trust. This is the third occasion I’ve rescued chickens, and I’m pleased to say that these girls don’t look too bad.

They have plenty of feathers, unlike my previous batch who hardly had a feather between them, but have now bounced back and are in fine fettle). In fact the only sign that these birds haven’t had a great life so far is that their combs are very floppy and pale pink.

This is usually due to them having spent very little time outside in normal daylight. But with some fresh air, green grass and good food they will soon perk up over the next 3 – 4 weeks. As fully functioning ex-batts there were 4 freshly laid eggs the following day. This is quite normal, seeing as that’s all they’ve been ‘programmed’ to do for the past year and a bit.

Unlike our other girls, these newcomers seem to prefer to lay in the afternoon. No idea why but they’re getting to grips with their new-found surroundings. I always keep them separated from the other hens as part of their acclimatisation, otherwise there can be squabbles as the others feel the need to ‘communicate’ the local pecking order.

It’s enough of a culture shock for them to leave their battery conditions without having to work out where they should fit in to the established hierarchy. My son Charlie has already named them: Lester (as a girl’s name!), Andrea, Morgan (again, as a girl’s name) and Henny Penny - what else!! I hope he’ll be able to remember them all…

Trade show cancelled due to unprecedented rain

With more than a month's worth of rain falling in Yorkshire in the last two days, we've just received the news we didn't want - that the Huby & Sutton Show on the 30th September has been cancelled due to adverse weather.

We are so disappointed, not just for us but for all the other exhibitors and visitors who were planning to attend. At least we haven't wasted any effort in getting everything ready as it all goes towards the overall launch. More details of that shortly.

Still, I guess at least one person will be pleased - Fluffy Fat Bottom - since she'll get to have a lie-in this Sunday morning instead of me waking her up at 5am!!

This extreme weather has provided an excellent test for our Henny Penny Hen House, and I'm pleased to say our girls remained completely dry during the night. They did get rather soaked when they were scratting about outside on Monday, but they'd obviously learned their lesson as yesterday they stayed in the warm and dry coop whilst the heavens opened. Not at all daft, my chickens!

First trade show at the Huby and Sutton Show near York

We've just finished putting the final touches to all the Henny Penny hen houses ready for our first trade show at the Huby & Sutton Show near York on the 30th September.

We are all very excited about it - I just hope that the weather stays fine so that plenty of families come along to the show. If you’d like a lovely day out then why not come along and make sure you pop onto our stand to say hello!

Today we took our #1 chicken 'Fluffy Fat Bottom' as she's called to the official photo shoot of the Henny Penny’s finest chicken coops and hen houses, chicken runs and other items. Because Fluffy is a rescue chicken I'm pretty sure that this will have been her first time in front of the camera.

However, you couldn’t tell because she was a total natural. She was a total poppet too, but we knew that already! She was such a sweetie…perfectly behaved and she stood or walked around the beautiful hen houses like a real pro. Here’s a shot of her posing on her perch. I was very proud her and I think she is probably very proud to be part of the HPHH team.

Let's help ex battery hens

The way most battery hens are treated in this country is nothing short of criminal. Most ex-batts are slaughtered, and don't see the light of day beyond 15 months. Yet chickens can live up to 12 - 15 years if kept properly, which seems to contradict the widely held view that layers are finished when they get to 2 - 3 years.

I truly believe that happy hens will produce happy eggs for many years. They just need to be kept in really good conditions, and will become part of the family. You'll get lots of delicious eggs and the girls will live for several more years. What’s not to like?

Selling your eggs is fun, but being realistic you are unlikely to become a millionaire. However, it is extremely rewarding, especially if you have kids who love animals.

You can expect to pay anything up to £6 each for them (or an equivalent donation). In some cases there may be no charge at all. Organisations such as the Battery Hen Welfare Trust and Compassion in World Farming are a really good place to start.

The initial appearance of battery hens can be quite disturbing at first. Most of their feathers are likely to be missing and red scars may be present due to continuous squabbling inside their cages. Often their top beaks will be burnt off in order to stop too much injury to their fellow cell mates.

It's important to keep them within their new hen house area for a couple of weeks at first, and if you already have some chickens, keep them apart. They are likely to be unbalanced for a few days while they get used to having some space and learning how to walk. Also, they are more prone to attacks from any existing hens, but it's just the natural forces of nature in establishing a 'pecking order').

Some ex batts will lay eggs immediately, while others may take a few weeks to regain their strength. I would always recommend clipping one of their wings too, in order to ensure they don't decide to explore where they shouldn't. This is in their own interests as you don’t want them to wander off into the hands of Mr Fox!

Lastly, at night time your older chickens will guide them back to the coop, until they know to do this themselves. It’s quite lovely really. And so to bed!

Pre-Launch News!

Welcome everyone to the first post on the official Henny Penny Hen Houses blog.

What is Henny Penny Hen Houses? In a nutshell they are my idea of the perfect henhouse…with a difference! As for what that special ingredient is, well you'll just have to wait until we launch on 30th September 2012.

But I can tell you a little of why I love chickens so much, and in particular rescue chickens. 2 years ago I’d never even thought of keeping chickens, that was until my mum gave me a hen house as a Christmas gift. Over the coming weeks/months, after living with my first set of girls, I realised that there were a number of things that could be improved with the design. So I did. I’ll be sharing with you more as time goes on about what to watch out for when looking to buy a coop, and what to avoid.

But back to our rescue chickens. These poor creatures have really inspired me to do all I can to make their lives as happy as possible. They arrived in a terrible state - with very few feathers they looked more ready for the oven than for a life of freedom. It was quite upsetting. But I was reassured that if they are looked after well then they are likely to bounce back to full health. I can confirm this is true in my experience, at least for most of my girls (some unfortunately died within a few days, probably from the trauma of it all).

Of all my girls, there is one who has turned out to be the most unbelievable chicken of all – Fluffy Fat Bottom, as my little boy Charlie named her once her feathers began to grow back. To look at her know you just wouldn’t know of her torrid past, and she's the cutest, friendliest girl you can imagine. She let's us pick her up and stroke her, and she never strays. What a lady!! So you can see what I mean, here’s a picture.

I’ll let you know more about Fluffy Fat Bottom in future posts – there're all great characters. And if you have chickens yourself, why not let me know about your little darlings?

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Pre-Launch News!