Bathing - hen style

Our hens have adopted a corner of ground under the hen house as a dust bath. They all use it and as a result, they have hollowed out the ground and created something of a basin. Dust baths are good for their feathers and skin. If you are planning to keep hens, make sure they have some sheltered ground they can turn into an en suite.

I let them out this afternoon to wander around the allotment whilst I dug up the rest of our crop of Jerusalem artichokes. At one point I was mobbed by them as they joined in digging up the ground to get to any grubs and worms they could find. They had a great time though it doubled the length of time I planned to spend there.