It was announced that, even though bird flu is still here, birds would be allowed out of lockdown from Monday 2nd May.
We made plans.
On the Friday afternoon, we shut the girls in, and DH dismantled all the outdeise netted area. We had (and have) a big pile of poles and piles of netting. The extra omlet run was dismantled and stored ready for this winter.
Despite havig been ravaged by chickens, the area looked so much better without the "shanty town" look from the netted area.
On Saturday, the chap who comes to help is with our garden came. Because everything was now clear, he could mow the whole lot, and it looked wonderful. The Girls were still in jail at this point, and weren't happy.
On Monday, we put up outry fencing, and let the girls out. They came streaming out of the door, and ran round the fresh grass, eating greedily. Within seconds, Fay was out. Six months in Flockdown hadn't dulled her fence jumping skill.
We had a few more escapee issues over the next few days, usually Poppy or Elizabeth squishing underneath the netting.
And now, the girls are lying in the sun.
I'd love to let them have the freedom of the entire garden, but DH is growing some things. We've put netting round the beds, but we know that the Girls seem to see that as a challenge rather than as a deterrent.
Six months they were shut in.
Our Girls were lucky that they have a large walk in area anyway, and that DH was able to construct a netted & protected outside area for them. Not all would have been so lucky.
Viole(n)t, who is now 4 (FOUR!) years old, celebrated freedom by going broody.
