We ordered a new compound for the chickens a couple of weeks ago, and on Thursday morning it was delivered. Not a problem, you might expect, except that as I was going to be out I got it delivered to the other side of town, and it is very big.

Really big. When built it’ll be 12ft by 8ft and could house a few dozen birds – not that we’re planning on keeping any more than 10 so they have plenty of room to flap and strut. It comes in four big bundles of wire and wood, which were far too large to fit into the big builders’ van we’d borrowed. The only thing for it was to fit it in as best we could, and tie the doors closed with some thick brown rope.

We got it safely back across town again, but there was no chance we were going to get it built in what remained of the day, and so for the moment it’s stacked up beneath the kitchen window.

I can’t wait to slit open the packs and start screwing it all together – with appropriate help, but that’s going to have to wait a week or two now. The chickens know nothing of it, but once it’s up I can stop feeling sorry for them spending their days while we’re out at work in their Omlet Cube, which is rated for six birds in its current configuration, but strikes me as a little small for our three.

It’s coming ladies… hang on a little while longer.

Related posts:

1. The chickens get a new home
2. Your chicken-keeping questions answered
3. Chicken economics