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weeks old, they're called Pullets, just in case you didn't know (I didn't know once upon a time). Pullets are the best age and are about two weeks off laying their first egg. Too old and they're known as Broilers (I think this term comes from the days when they stoped laying possibly in a white wine sauce).

The Girls are usually good travellers; they should sit quietly as you drive, if they have enough space to sit down away from the other Girls. One last suggestion, when collecting the Girls from the registered chicken breeder take along a large cardboard box, complete with lid and a cover for the seat of your car (old sack, plastic sheet, or waxed paper, etc.). If there is no lid on the box, the Girls will enjoy sitting up front on the dash board, in your hair, in your lap as you drive I think you get the general idea. As for the seat covering, the Girls will be distressed during travel. They will poop in the box and the cover will protect your car seat. When you get home, place them in the chicken coop immediately and ensure there is water and food available for them to access. As they will be distressed, allow them to sit quietly in the chicken coop, without interruption. They will appreciate this greatly. Give them time to re-establish their pecking order, friendships and feeding order. These natural orders would've been established at the chicken farm, possibly with different chickens to the ones you have at home. The Girls also may try to escape their new home, attempting to fly up to a higher place.

Give the Girls two weeks and before you know it, with plenty of visits from you each day, lots of food scraps from the kitchen, they will come running to you each time they see and hear you.

Oh yes, about once a week, rake out the straw and chicken poop from the Girls home and place it in your compost bin. Replace with fresh, clean straw.

Clipping their wings, is like giving them a hair cut. It doesn't hurt. Clipping their wings will impede their ability to fly. Yes, fly. Chickens are renowned for jumping up and flying into trees and over fences. Your neighbours will appreciate it if the Girls don't jump over the fence. How do you do this only cut the feathers of one wing - open their wing and look and feel for the fleshy part of the wing. Do NOT cut the fleshy part of the wing. You should see where the flesh ends and the feathers begin. Only cut the FEATHERS, leaving a couple of inches between the flesh and the scissors. If you cut too close, it will hurt them, just like cutting too close to your finger, when trimming your finger nail. Cut their feathers, slowly. If you are unsure how this is done, ask the registered chicken breeder, or your vet.

Once the Girls can be trusted to stay near you, if not follow you around the yard and come when you call them, then they are ready to "free range". This will make it very easy to put them back to bed at night. When "free ranging", beaware of eagles / hawks in the sky. They love eating chicken too.

If the Girls don't naturally roost at night, go down to the pen and pick them up at night, place them on their roost. Over time they will eventually do this by themselves. Remember, if it's the wrong roost, they won't do it at all and you could damage the underside, fleshy part of their feet.

Happy Girls are happy layers.

PS - All conversations about chicken soup should be discussed in hushed tones around the Girls.

Learn more about this author, Darren Brealey.
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