7. DH gets involved

So, several months on, we were in September and still apparent apathy from my DH.

By mid September, after much reading and research, I decided I'd really like to have a walk in run for the Girls, with the Cube on the outside. I had some ideas for how I thought it might look, and I had investigated lots of commercially made runs. These were all significant amounts of money, and always "not quite" right. What I really wanted was for my DH, who is brilliant at DIY, to make one for me. But, given his apathy to the whole project, this didn't seem likely.

In the end I mentioned to him that I was thinking of having a big run rather than just the extended Cube run, and I explained why. We looked at lots of pictures of the commercial ones, and also lots of pics of the runs that other hen keepers had made. I asked if he would make one, and he was very happy to!

So, we've been discussing designs, needs, etc. The people on the Omlet Club who had built their own runs were very helpful, as they gave lots of hints and tips. We finally got to the stage where we needed another detailed look at the Cube to see how we would fit it all together, so I arranged to go and visit Omlet.

And that takes me back to my first blog. "We've ordered a Cube".

On Saturday this week I'm going to Wernlas again, plus possibly a couple of other hen places, to see if I can make a final decision about the chooks. I'd like a Buff Sussex, some sort of hybrid (possibly a Bluebelle as they are very pretty), and.... maybe the Naked Neck. That's the reason for the visit to Wernlas, they are the only place I know that breeds Naked Necks.

I'm childishly excited!

5. See, I'm not the only one

September/October 2007

Time was moving on, and I realised that it was really too late to get chickens this year.

The lead time on a Cube was six weeks, which would mean that I'd be getting chickens in November. Not a great time of year if I wanted to tame them. I reluctantly decided that I would wait until March next year before getting the chickens.


I had decided that one of the three birds would be a Buff Sussex, but I couldn't make up my mind about the other two breeds.



Very soon after me deciding to go ahead regardless of my DH's disinterest, we were out with some of our friends one evening. I mentioned that I was getting chickens in March, and K was very interested. "Don't tell G" she said "He wants chickens". She also asked me if I was thinking about getting ex batts, and I explained why not (yet) (I'll explain in a later blog). My DH was surprised to hear that one of his best friends wanted chooks and thought that chooks in the garden was fine. As the Cube and run could be relocated, they offered to chicken sit if we went on holiday.

A few days later I confided in my one of my best friends that I would be getting chickens, and she was really excited. She immediately offered to look after them when we were away, as she had fond memories of having chickens when she was a young child.

I relayed this to DH, who didn't react at all to the information.

And some time later still my other best friend and her husband came to dinner. Again, I mentioned that we were getting chickens. Straightaway she asked if we were getting an Eglu, and said that she fancied having a pink one. She also started asking me about the breeds I was getting.

I asked her if she would come with me to Wernlas, as I wanted to see the chickens again now that I knew more about the breeds, and I particularly wanted to take a look at the Transylvanian Naked Neck, a breed whose odd looks and appeal had been growing on me. She was very happy to oblige.

So. Three groups of people that DH liked and respected had spontaneously reacted with enthusiasm. His attitide thawed slightly, but the biggest evidence of this was yet to come.