Gimme Shelter!

After another thunder storm last night we decided today was the day for some construction work à la Kevin McCloud. And just like Kevin's "Man Made Home", this involved reclaiming some of the timber from the old cabins the previous owner had for geese and duck and converting that timber into a shelter for the chickens in inclement weather.

Before we give the impression that up to now the poor things have been left without any shelter, let me stress that they already have two perfectly sound weather-proof structures, a smaller one divided up as nest boxes and a larger one for roosting.

Despite this they insist on sleeping on the roof of the larger pod even in the rain. And during the day when it is wet, they make a sorry sight!

We have spent most of the day on this shelter on the basis that if a job is worth doing, etc, etc... and by mid afternoon we were ready to let the hens have a nosey around..

They were happy enough to come and take a look, but as for going inside...

What is the one thing likely to entice a hen to overcome it's timidity???

Yes; food did the trick! They were soon in under the shelter and tucking into a dish of cornflake crumbs soaked in water. It would be nice to thing that they have admired our handiwork and that, more importantly, they will use the shelter when the weather isn't good.

However, that remains to be seen. Girls will be girls! And for once it is the Sussex who seems to have taken charge of the shelter...

Let's hope she remembers this place when the rain next starts to fall!