Two weeks after arrival they were covered in new pin feathers and looked really sore and uncomfortable.
They were often bleeding as the new growth pushed through their delicate skins and purple spray (here) was having to be applied regularly as antiseptic but also to disguise the blood as hens are attracted to blood and it can apparently lead to cannibalism.
So whenever I saw blood, I grabbed the purple spray; often spraying myself in the process but thankfully avoiding any injury to the hens.
Now though, their bodies are covered in newly grown feathers and they’ve noticeably put on weight too – they look like different birds.
The slowest growing feathers are still missing, tails and wing feathers, but the difference in them is amazing. Of course it’s not just a physical difference as their whole personalities are different now too, it’s like they’re blooming into their true selves J
Waffle is undoubtably top hen even though she’s the smallest bird.
She has learnt to use the cat flap and there have been several times when I’ve come home from work to find her running around the house.
Maud (pictured above) is the loudest and most confident with me, she’s also the biggest of the four and the most curious too – she’s fascinated by shiny round things and forever pecking the button on my watch, camera lens on my phone, and once she even grabbed the stud in my lip piercing.
Twaddle and Waffle are more timid but in the last few days they have really started to shine and are now often the first two to greet me when they see me headed to the back door to open it.
On Sunday I spent a few hours just sitting in the garden in the sun with my hens. Twaddle decided to come and sit right next to me for a snooze and that was when I found out hens actually purr when they’re content…
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