The Marshfairies have always been very spiritual creatures and believe that what is, is because that is the way it is meant to be.

Along our paths we make many decisions, one day we were talking of the pros and cons of having chickens and all agreed not to have chickens because we are very busy and they take a lot of looking after. We then got on with our busy lives and thought no more of it. Until one day in May 2009, one of our neighbours chickens arrived with 12 little balls of fluff, they were so cute and we all fell in love.

  

We told our neighbour and she explained that because the mother had chosen our garden for the birth of her young they would simply keep returning if she took them back. So the decision of having chickens was made for us and we were all delighted.

We had no knowledge of how to care for chickens, the mother was so wonderful with her young and seemed happy enough to wander the garden finding shelter and food in the many bushes and shrubs. One morning we awoke to find that something had killed some of the young and the mother was nowhere to be found. We were very upset and concerned for the 8 remaining Chicks. We hurriedly made a pen and home for them to live so that they would be safe and wondered how we would catch them to put them in. We need not have worried as they simply wandered in themselves, glad of the safety and shelter. They settled in quickly and thoroughly enjoyed their new home.

 

Meanwhile we thought we could see another hen underneath a pile of discarded items. She was extremely well hidden and impossible for us to get near without moving a large pile of items which could have collapsed on her. Early one morning we discovered a large amount of feathers, we feared the worst and decided it was worth the risk of moving the pile.

We discovered a nest of 20 eggs and no sign of the hen. One of the eggs was very badly broken and two slightly broken and we could see they had chicks in. We collected the eggs together and took them indoors. We sat and timidly peeled off the remaining shell of the two slightly broken eggs not knowing if the chicks were alive or dead. To our dismay out came two very healthy and hungry little babies. We had been told in the past that if the eggs were cold the babies would not survive, but as we had two healthy little chicks we put the eggs in a box with a 100watt light bulb above and to our dismay over the next few days all 19 eggs hatched.

  

 We were worried about how to feed the babies but one of the first was only half way out of the egg before he started eating food on the floor near him.

 

They were so adorable and funny and gave us many hours of joy just sitting and watching them play. But they soon outgrew their box and found their wings hehehe! Babies everywhere! The older chicks were also quickly out growing their pen so we decided to make a new home for them and move the babies into their pen.

 

They loved their new pens and were eager to explore

 

The babies werent quite so eager but it didnt take them long before they felt right at home.

 

They soon discovered that the grass is always greener, and then settled down for a well earned rest.