Just getting started

Hi there

I live in Bristol in the SW of England. I've wanted to keep chickens for AGES and started buying books and reading info online about 10 YEARS AGO to glean as much info as possible and just waiting for the time when "the time was right" to keep chickens. I'm not sure what I was waiting for... we all say "when I have my house in the country", etc. I suddenly thought, why waste my life dreaming about the life I want when I can make my life what I want it to be RIGHT NOW. You never know what tomrorow is going to bring. So, when I went to my boyfriend's parents house in Shropshire recently, and they now had chickens which I just couldn't stay away from, I thought... "Sod it, I'm getting my chickens!!"

When I assessed my back garden I realised I had a lot more space than I thought, especially after digging out some troublesome plants (Kerria Japonica) that I'd been meaning to sort out for years. I have the space to build a very roomy run for a few hens (which is all I need) and got started on it straight away. Half their run sits under a Leylandii tree which provides shade and very dry soil to roll around in. I've sourced my hens from someone who bought them 6 weeks ago at POL but are now moving and are selling the whole set up, coop, birds, food, grit, etc as it's not convenient to move with them. I may even have them by the weekend! I'm going to call them Frances, Gladys and Alice. My grandmother is one of four sisters, but all her sisters have passed on now, so I thought I'd name the girls after them. They're such good chicken names anyway!

Anyway... have more yard word to do to prepare for their arrival and I'm SOOOOOO excited!! I'm sure you'll hear plenty from me asking millions of newbie questions! A pic of the girls is below.