Janet tells me that it’s something about the warm soil. But these were full of flowers or greenery no nice warm dry soil to make nests in.
The new hens are all dust bathing, making hollows in the soil in a newly built border which is surrounded by a little rocky wall. They love it so much that no flowers can go in it now until autumn as the happy birds can’t be deprived of their pleasure.
When Janet brought one hen up to see me, in my bed, that was typical of the new batch, incredibly friendly tame and trusting, like being picked up and never struggle - why would you? The kind human who gives us treats and puts us to be is just picking us up. Anyway the bedroom hen was christened ‘Betty’ for some reason. They are all being put into the tack room of the donkey stable every night and locked in because we have got the feeling that there might be hungry foxes about. So at least they are safe.