The grey hen has been living under the paddock hen house since we took her off the goose eggs about three weeks ago. Whatever we tried she would only come out once the other hens and cockerels had gone to bed. It was time for action.

In the polytunnel run the white cockerel has been terrorising the bantam cockerel and making him miserable. He didn’t want to come inside at night – frightened out of his wits

This state of affairs couldn’t continue. So, this afternoon, we managed to grab the grey hen from her basement hideaway and tempt the terrorised cockerel into a new home.

They seem to have settled down straight away. Two outsiders together