New Range for the chickens

After making a tour of the estate recently, I found it very disheartening.  I was unable to do much in the garden last year and so most of it was left to the chickens .....
It was interesting to see how many of the plants have survived and how many have been eaten/died.  The Hosta at the top of the garden has gone but the variegated one has survived!!  
Why some plants have survived we do not know but, in order to give those that are trying to grow again some protection, we decided that this year we would build a small raised garden round the bushes using recycled house bricks and move the plants into this......


Sometimes it is very difficult to obtain used house bricks so this has not materialised.  
Calls for a change of plan so we just fenced off the area to be cultivated with a plastic temporary fence.


We have used this fencing round our fruit bushes and seems the hens don't mind it.  They wander round the fruit garden digging and pecking and chatting and fertilising and ....

Today was the first day that the 'girls' would be able to come out and destroy enjoy a portion of the garden. 
They had gathered in the corner by the door as if they knew that we were going to let them out.  Hopefully they will leave the roots of the Pear and Apple trees alone ...... cherubs watching over them!!


Once the door was open they made a run for it ..... one of the funniest things to see .... chickens running to get to the food .....

They didn't seem to mind that there wasn't much grass ..... it seems it was just good to search and scratch .....