Henny Penny

A busy day, one way and another. This morning was spent doing the boring essential stuff - sorting out money, getting the computers serviced and taking down the decorations. Then this afternoon we went over to visit Pete's Mum and exchange the last of the Christmas presents.

The only gap for photography came at lunch time when Pete was attending to the hens. Now the weather's a little milder they enjoy coming out to wander round the garden, which gave me a chance to snatch a few photos. Today's portrait is of Henny Penny, who came to live with us just over a year ago. Over the last Christmas holidays Chris received a text to say that his friend had seen a hen wandering down her very urban street. No-one knew where it had come from so Chris dashed over there to rescue it.

We discovered she was a pedigree bantam, a Golden Sebright. Initially we housed her in a hutch on her own, and brought her into the house on a daily basis for exercise. She became very tame and would leap onto an outstretched arm in return for mealworms. In April we introduced her to our two other chickens, and after ten minutes or so of establishing the pecking order (she quickly beacame top hen) she has lived happily with them ever since.