Paws for thought - Mission (Im)Possible?

No! Don't do it! It's dairy - and we've all fallen into that trap.....

I've had a rant on Twitter again.

Well, OK it was more of a mild musing because I've gone all compassionate these days - but it was over the use of the phrase 'Vegan Challenge' to describe an initiative encouraging people to try being vegan for either a week or a month.

My issue was with the word 'challenge'.

And it divided opinion.

I'm of the mind that 'challenge' makes veganism sound difficult and, maybe I've been lucky, but I just haven't found it to be that difficult. Yes, it's taken a little research and planning and some extra daily decision making, but, in general it's actually been quite fun to learn! 

So it concerns me that the word challenge could be putting people off, and will in fact discourage them from even contemplating trying veganism. This stems from my feelings that the majority of us are inherently quite lazy by nature. Something that even hints of being difficult in any way isn't going to appeal to most people and therefore we are missing an opportunity to promote veganism as the wonderful life that it can be. We've lost before we've started.

Several followers agreed with me.

In the other camp however, there were several who felt that the word 'challenge' would inspire people to 'give it a go' because they would want to rise to the challenge and prove that they could do something different and something outside of the norm. They would want to prove they could succeed with something that others might perceive as difficult - a competitive instinct if you like.

I understand the reverse psychology and wonder whether I can get to know exactly what people do indeed really think about it (leading up to the mission now...) What I do know is that some quick research has shown me that vegan organisations NEVER seem to publish the actual physical number of people who sign up to the 'vegan pledge' (The Vegan Society recently reported a 40% increase in take-up for 2012 - but this is meaningless without the actual figure - it could have been 40% up on the previous years figure of 20 people...). Now if those numbers were high, I'd imagine that they would be shouting them from the rooftops and there would be a lot more vegans in the UK, the world and the universe. But I have a sneaky suspicion that we're pretty thin on the ground (last UK Twitter survey got to just 6000 approx!)

So I'm scratching my little vegan head thinking - WHY? why aren't there more of us when a plant-based lifestyle is the healthiest, most ethically sound, environmentally friendly decision there is?

What's putting people off from taking that 'challenge'?

One obvious answer is the answer that relates to me in the bad-old-meaty days - simply - brainwashing (for want of a better word). The food industry in its entirety has done the most FAB-U-LOUS job at convincing us meat, fish and dairy is healthy (nay, vital) to our very existence. It has cleverly kept its abhorrent farming processes hidden, whilst artificially keeping product prices low (without your taxes funding a complex subsidy system these food costs would be 3 x higher!) so that we consume more and more in a frenzy of buttered-up meaty lust.

It seems the vegan community just hasn't been able to compete with this high level wizardry.

* * *  So - to the Mission [cue the music]. * * *

I want to find out just what non-vegans think about vegans and veganism in general and I'd like to understand what deters them from giving it a try.

A. IF YOU ARE VEGAN: Please can you have a chat with someone (anyone) and politely ask them the following questions; note their responses; let me know.

 

1.    What do you think of when you hear the word 'vegan' ? i.e. what does it mean to you?

2.    What type of people do you think are vegans?

3. Who do you know that is vegan? (can be in your circles or in the public eye etc)

4.    Have you ever considered being vegan?

5.    What do you think has stopped you from trying a vegan lifestyle?

6.    What would tempt you to try a vegan lifestyle?

[if the answer to 4. is that you have already tried being vegan, but you are no longer vegan - please say why you gave up and what would tempt you to try again.]

B. IF YOU ARE NON-VEGAN: Please can you reply to me directly answering the above questions and perhaps, if you have the chance, kindly ask other non vegans what they think too - and let me know.

** Please send your feedback to me via either the comments section below (clicking on the title of this post will bring up the comments box if it's not visible), the 'contact me' form field on the rhs, via twitter or via email if you're a regular communicator. **

I'd love to make some sense of the potential stereotyping  and lack of understanding that perhaps exists out there about vegans and veganism, and then perhaps we can have a chance of breaking some of those barriers down.

Thank you friends. Owing to my humanitarian concerns, this blog will not self destruct in 20 seconds - instead it will send you a virtual hug and offer you a recipe for lentil soup.
I await your response...

C (aka Chantal)

Or is it?... to be continued...

RESULTS

Here are just some of the answers collected from my family and friends - still waiting on a lot to come back! But interestingly, with those who did reply, it has opened up a means of communication about the whole subject of veganism and they now have a far better understanding of where David and I are coming from! Perhaps it's something to try with your friends and family too?

What do you think of when you hear the word 'vegan' ? i.e. what does it mean to you?

13yr old girl: Vegetables

Mum in 40s: Eccentric hippy drewid type.

Single lady in 40s: Initial reaction is to their diet: No meat & no dairy.

New Dad 40: I don’t know much about it but is very different from vegetarian in that you don’t eat meat, fish or dairy products, even down to wearing leather shoes or clothing.

Lady 50’s: vegan means to me extreme vegetarianism and a miserable existence, I have lived with two men who have been allergic to dairy produce and it's hard work eating out or all inclusive on  holiday.

Chinese lady, late 20s: First time I saw the word "Vegan", I thought it was refer to vegetarians. But after reading some of the blogs and articles, I realize that being a "Vegan" is more than vegetarian. Vegan take into consideration the food, but also the daily consumption products, they are much more environmental friendly. Basically Vegan don't use animal related products, they go for plant based products. My concern is with extreme cases that human beings stop eating animals, will we be weak and bite by animals at the end of the days?? ^^

What type of people do you think are vegans?

Healthy

As above - Eccentric hippy drewid type.

 (a) people with allergies to dairy food etc (b) People who decide that a vegan diet is healthy (c) People whose ethics determine what they can eat / wear.

I think most peoples conception of vegans are Greenpeace and save the earth fanatics.

Animal loving people, however this should not be forced onto the animal ie feeding them with veg.

Vegetarians, those who use Green Products (like BIO), people don't wear animal-related clothes/shoes. People who against animal violence.

Who do you know that is vegan? (can be in your circles or in the public eye etc)

Uncle and auntie

Brother and sister in law

You and David. Others maybe, but I'm not a foodie and don't talk about food with anyone really. The closest I get is when a friend's vegetarian option at a society Christmas party looks like it's unfit for consumption which is worthy of comment!

You

J, you and D. J is a skeleton, wrinkly and not a good advert for healthy living.

You and D :)

Have you ever considered being vegan?

 No

No

No, I like meat & I'm a fussy eater already!

I personally wouldn’t consider it!

No never unless someone told me I would die otherwise.

I would like to try, but it needs some time to get rid of meat, especially eggs. My mother is now trying to go vegetarian first, because she has lot of concern on the product quality in China. She prefers to eat more vegetables and she's very concerned about what raw material is used in the products that she purchased.

What do you think has stopped you from trying a vegan lifestyle?

I like meat and I love cheese and chocolate.

Nothing I just never wanted a vegan lifestyle.

Removing animal products from my lifestyle would be time consuming and expensive. I don't feel strongly enough about it to try it.

It's fussiness.

What would tempt you to try a vegan lifestyle?

Trying new foods

Nothing, it’s too restrictive. I could probably live without meat but not all the other stuff.

Nothing - Voila! I'm a bad person! I also drive a 4x4 and fly around the world with little regard to my carbon footprint. I do however... no, I can't think of anything environmentally friendly that I do... oh wait, I DO RECYCLE!

I’m interested in what you would eat but that's it.

I think it's worthwhile to try for the sake of my health for sure, but it is also meaningful to improve the ecosystem of human beings & the nature.

Other comments:

I believe you can live a healthy lifestyle as a vegan but would need a very good knowledge of nutrition as we are carnivorous and need good protein and carbohydrates - which can be got from soya, pulses, root vegetables etc.

If you choose this as a way of life I do believe you can be as happy and healthy as any with nutrition you choose, and if it works for you then it’s all good!

Recipe: Sweet potato and chilli empanadas with lime mayonnaise.

'Hola'!

I've gone all Mexican in my house lately. I discovered a little freebie Mexican cook book tucked in my bookcase which turned out to be vegetarian and actually 90% vegan! So it's revived my love of this tasty cuisine.

Empanadas are basically fried Mexican pasties and while the recipe I've used (as you'll see from the 'chaos' pic below, was tasty - it sure as hell was messy! So I've rewritten it, with my slant on improved flavour AND a methodology that won't have you getting sweet potato and dough up the walls for 3 hours (sorry Dave).

 I've been meaning to make these for ages and I'm so glad I finally have. These are 'deliciosa'! and I unapologetically scoffed 4 of them and then needed a siesta...

Chantal xx

sweet potato and chilli empanadas with ribbon salad & lime mayonnaise

[ makes either 12 or 24 large empanadas - enough for you and a mariachi band :) ]

Gather                                                                                                                                       

Kitchen stuff you'll need:

Food processor, large pan, kettle, chopping board, peeler and knives, 2 large roasting tins, rolling pin, pastry brush, pastry cutter, large bowl, dessert spoon, fish slice and spatula, sense of adventure, poncho, apron... 

ingredients

Filling (for 24, halve if you only want to make 12)

600g sweet potato - peeled and cubed

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small brown onions - finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic - grated / crushed

1 red jalapeno chili - deseeded and very finely sliced (leave some seeds if you like it hot!)

1 green jalapeno chili - deseeded and very finely sliced (leave some seeds if you like it hot!)

30g raisins

30g ground almonds

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Dough (for 12, make 2 lots if you want to make all 24 empanadas)

350g plain flour

50g soft sunflower margarine (I use Pure)

1/2 tsp salt

200ml boiling water

Oil to cook - approx 200ml+

Extra flour to dust your work surface and rolling pin.

Dip

4 heaped dessert spoons of mayonnaise (I use Plamil Organic Egg Free)

Juice and zest of 1 lime

Create

1.  Cook the sweet potato in simmering water for about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and add to your large bowl.

2.  While the potatoes are cooking sautee your onions in the oil on a low to medium heat until they start to soften and go translucent. 

3.  Add the garlic, chillies and raisins to the onions and continue to cook gently for another 5 minutes.

4.  Add the onion mix to the potatoes, sprinkle over the ground almonds, cinnamon, salt and pepper and mix really well to combine. It is fine if the potato mashes up a little.

5.  Switch on your oven to warm up and pour enough oil into the roasting tins to completely cover the bottom - up to about 5ml deep. Place the trays in the oven.

6.  Next prepare your dough - add all of the dry ingredients to your blender, switch it on and carefully add the boiling water. Keep the blender running until a dough ball has formed -
** this will not take very long - just a few moments**.

7.  Flour your work surface and tip the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into 12 pieces - half, half again and then each piece into 3 will help to make them equal.

8.  Flour your rolling pin and roll a piece into as round a shape as you can manage - about 3mm thickness and 18cm diameter. Don't worry too much about getting a perfect round though as you can trim them to tidy them up.

9.  Place a heaped dessert spoon of your sweet potato mix onto the dough circle. Place it on the half furthest from you (there's a good reason for this). 

10.  Use a pastry brush to brush a little water in a crescent shape around the filling on the far side from you.

11.  Gently fold the dough nearest you over the filling using a cupped hand to press the filling down and expel excess air. Then press the dough together where the water has been brushed to form a tight seal. (NB the dough should be big enough that no filling will ooze out of the sides.)

12.  You can then trim excess 'scruffy' dough either using a sharp knife or a serrated pastry cutter to form a neat & pretty edge and a large crescent shape.

13.  Gently lift the empanada with a fish slice and set to one side on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remainder of the dough and the filling. (You can either make a second batch of dough as mentioned above or keep the remaining filling to make chimichangas or enchiladas!)

Tip: I used a 'fish slice' spatula to lift the empanadas off the work surface as they are quite delicate to lift by hand and you don't want to risk tearing them.

14.  By the time you've made all 12 your oven should be up to temperature, so take out the roasting trays and carefully add 6 empanadas to each - flipping them over gently with two spatulas so that they are covered in oil.

empanadas gently place on tray of hot oil

15.  Place the trays back in the oven and bake for approx 8 minutes. (you can make a salad accompaniment during this time). Then carefully remove the trays and turn each empanada over with your 2 spatulas (I say carefully as they can still be a little fragile at this stage and the oil will be bubbling hot.)

16.  Return to the oven and bake for another 8 minutes or until you can see that the pastries are a lovely golden brown colour. (You can make the mayo dip during this time by simply combining the ingredients listed in a small bowl with a fork or small whisk).

17.  Once the empanadas are cooked, carefully remove them from the oven and rest on some pieces of laid out kitchen roll to absorb some of the excess oil.

chaotic aftermath - but worth it!

Enjoy!

Serve with a fresh crisp salad (as you can see, this time I used a mixed baby leaf salad with ribbons of cucumber and carrots topped with tomatoes slices, drizzled with a little omega 3,6,9 oil and some grinds of fresh black pepper. I had the mayo as a dip on the side but ended up pouring it all over the salad!

Cooks tip: for an authentic taste use Serrano chillies - which are a little hotter than jalapenos. If this has inspired you to get your sombrero on I'd recommend these great Mexican food product websites:

http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php

http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php

VeganMofo - Compassion is the fashion with fabulous vegan foods... Week 3

Can you believe it's:

Week 3 of VeganMofo!

What's it all about and what did you miss on weeks 1 and 2? Please check here!

What's coming up next? Only another 21 more delicious meal ideas!
Is there no end to the vegan food possibilities???
I don't think so!

Sunday  15.9.13

Spicy bravas-style tofu scramble on multiseed toast with baked forestiere mushrooms.

You all know by now I love a brunch at the weekend and this one is so low calorie and so tasty that you can enjoy a really hearty portion that sets you up for the day! 

Egg-free, dairy-free chocolate macadamia fudge brownies.

My first attempt at making these - made using a ground flax seed 'egg' ! Who knew this could be so easy and who would have guessed they would disappear in an afternoon?!

A nut roast slice (from Healthy Pulses, Exeter) with olive oil mash and lots of mixed steamed veg.

We've all heard of the stereotypical 'vegan nut roast' - but let me tell you, don't knock it 'til you've tried it - it's far tastier and far better than many other roasts I could mention!

Monday 16.9.13

Porridge made with almond milk and oats, topped with the last of the summer berries (raspberries, blueberries & a lone strawberry!), flaked almonds & agave nectar.

One of the simplest most delicious breakfasts you can make and there are so many different moo-free milks to try. Almond and oat are my favourite.

#VeganMofo lunch: I'm eating a 'Hungry Monk' (!) at Tyepyedong #Exeter. Noodle bars r gr8 4 #vegan food! pic.twitter.com/sETWcHtKVx
— Chantal DH (@vegsoup4thesoul) September 16, 2013

Baked leek risotto with onions, peppers and vegan mozarella.

This is a great weeknight supper dish, because you chop, throw it into a dish and bake.

I love it with lashings of tomato ketchup - may not be classy, but it works for me!

Tuesday 17.9.13

Pumpkin-seed toast with homemade damson jam and a fresh pear on the side.

I always try to add a fruit or veg element to a breakfast and these blush pears are amazing!

Baked sweet potato falafels with fresh salad and wholemeal pitta.

The 'after' pic was a somewhat full pitta oozing with mayo and chilli sauce too! Pretty much anything could go into a falafel - they're as limiting as your imagination :)

Mixed marinated vegetable kebabs (mango chilli sauce, BBQ sauce, satay sauce) on a bed of fluffy couscous and with a side of hm coleslaw.

Yes, I am officially addicted to coleslaw - I would add it to everything if I could. It's raw and healthy too!

Wednesday 18.9.13

Birchers-style muesli with fresh apple and blackcurrants.

This seems to be one of those breakfasts you get on buffet bars in more upmarket hotels - but so simple to make at home. Last week on Mofo I made this goji pineapple muesli and here it is revamped with some added fruit and soya yoghurt.

Homemade crispy, golden, spicy sweet potato empanadas, with lime mayonnaise and a 'ribbon' salad.

A bit of an indulgent lunch this one - but fabulous if you have people over (which I did) because it's tasty, unusual and they'll never guess its vegan! 

Homemade spaghetti bolognaise, made with soya mince and vegan red wine (1 bottle of!)

Everyone loves a good 'ole spag bol don't they - and I'm no exception. Making meals like this using a meat substitute is a great way to start out on the vegan lifestyle. 

Thursday 19.9.13

Sunflower seed toast with cashew nut butter and a raspberry, pineapple, vanilla smoothie on the side.

I never used to like peanut butter, but nut butters do really appeal to me, so I tried cashew as an alternative and I love it! Worth a go if you feel the same :)

Spicy sweet potato with baby gem and homemade coleslaw in a salsa tortilla wrap.

This was left over empanada filling and perfect for a lunch wrap either at home or on the go.

Homemade beetroot burger - simply in a bun with a light garnish it was so good!

Although my kitchen looked like horrendous after making this - it was worth it! Forget trying to grow 'meat' in petri dishes - we have the solution here already.

Friday 20.9.13

Gluten-free mixed cereals with chocolate almond milk and fresh banana.

Why should chocolate milk be just for kids? I love this breakfast - hits all the right notes for a Friday :)

Red kidney bean dip with warm pittas and crudites.

I really try to keep some lunches light and I love crunchy fresh veg so much that its no hardship. Sugar snap peas are one of the most delicious things. They have to be fresh though.

Baked avocado goujons in panko crumbs with a jacket potato, homemade sweet chilli sauce, coleslaw and some seeded salad.

I've never been that keen on avocado, as you know, but with this amazing way to cook with them I could even get to love them!

Saturday 21.9.13

Mixed scrumped-fruit crumble (raspberries, figs, apples, blueberries), with a spiced oaty topping.

Yes - you see right, I had this for breakfast with some soya custard! What the hell. There was no room in the fridge and it just looked too good. This was one of my best ever crumbles. Yum! (NB I didn't eat it all by myself - I had help!)

Vegan packed lunch - cucumber and Marmite rolls, fresh tomatoes, some Thai-spiced crisps and a free-from chocolate bar.

What on earth do vegans have in sandwiches? It turns out there are a hundred things (I think I'll do a post on it one day). This is a childhood favourite of mine. Unusual, but if you are in the Marmite love camp - you'll like it!

Mixed vegetable jalfrezi with saffron rice and steamed tender stem broccoli.

Yay! Curry night! Indian food is a cuisine that lends itself so well to veganism - there are lots of choices and flavours and it also means a great weekend treat if you are a spice/heat fan. (Pappadums were out of view!)

Caring for hens - part 3 'space'...

Space - the final frontier...

No no no - wrong post...!

Helloo! Please help me be me - I need space to enjoy my life...

Just imagine living with 5 other humans in a room no bigger than the size of a double bed?

It would be a living hell.

A 'life' beyond comprehension.

That's the equivalent that a battery hen (since called 'caged' hen, now I'm hearing 'colony' hen) used to have...

A hen on the old system of intensive battery farming had no larger than the space of an A4 sheet of paper to stand on. No room to stretch, no room to lie and sprawl, no room to turn around easily and no room to flap wings, jump, scratch or indeed, anything else.

Can you imagine being restricted in such a way and also being amongst 5 other beings all restricted too?

This is why hens are 'de-beaked' so that they can't peck, eat and potentially kill each other out of frustration.

If you ever rescue and care for hens who have been farmed intensively in this manner - you will note that some can harbour distinct 'issues' and it's little wonder really, because in cramming them in so tightly, depriving them of any stimulation and natural habitat, their mental wellbeing is severely affected.

So when rescuing and caring for ex-'colony' hens this does need to be taken into consideration. Acres and acres of space may be daunting for them, they may get lost, predated and scared by flock separation. Yet giving them too little space (whilst being perhaps a better life) doesn't allow them room to seek out what some of them crave - which is a little calm and a little privacy.

Yes, everything you read will tell you about the flock mentality and how hens flock together - but chances are that rescued ex-bats won't be from the same cage (sorry collony), they won't know each other. All they will have known is chaos and restriction and being egg 'machines'.

Over the years I've observed that once the flock dynamic has settled down (i.e. a leader established and the entire pecking order in place) just like humans, there will still be hens who look for and actually like, time away from the others. They seek out peace, calm and either a shady spot under a tree (for safety) or a spot in the sun to bathe and feel the warmth on a spread wing.

So it's about balance.

General space requirements:

*** Before you get your hens, first consider how much space you can give them. This will determine the number of hens you can care for safely and properly.***

Safety is paramount. Foxes live in urban areas as much as rural areas and your space criteria must also include looking at how large a safe, enclosed, fox-proof area/run you can create in your garden/backyard?

Ideally then, if you cannot let your hens wander outside of a purpose built run - you should, in my opinion, allow at least 1 meter square per bird.

If, however, you can safely allow your hens a bit more room to roam in your garden / on your land every day, say, for at least an hour - then you could build a fixed secure run with a little less space per hen.

For example, here at 'secret cottage' we have a fixed walk-in run which is approx 5m square and we house 6 hens max in it. The coop we have within the run is suitable for 8 birds. Our garden however, extends to an acre and so we make sure that the hens get to free range very day for at least an hour - or for the entire time we are out in the garden - which is a lot more on many days.

Free to roam safey in our large garden.

This way, we know that they are safe and secure in their run, but not too restricted, yet they can have a good old roam and be really chickeny every day and Mr Fox won't come near because we, and our dogs, are there to deter him.

So that's the overall picture of space needed.

Runs and coops:

In terms of the run that you create, walk-in is by far preferable - no bending to get to them and to carry out daily tasks etc. But if that's not possible, then consider the height of any roof to your run from the hens' point of view. Hens can be larger birds than you think and once they have built up their strength they can actually jump quite high (up to my chest in one case) and will want to perhaps perch on a branch in the run and have a little jump n flap now and then - so 1m high the minimum I'd recommend.

I do not recommend arcs, too narrow, not high enough.

I see many of the arc-style coops and runs in various garden centres / pet stores etc and these are just too small. They are too low for such tall birds and the hens will never be able to fully stratch their wings etc (hens, like dogs, do yoga every day - you will see). I don't know why they persist in selling these runs, as, in my opinion, they are just not fit for purpose.

With regards to a coop that you may buy - be guided by the manufacturer as to how many hens it will house. The numbers always seem quite snug - but in actual fact for the purposes of sleeping, hens don't mind this. In winter it will keep them warm and providing you open any ventialtion in summer you need not worry too much about overheating, as ex-bat hens will have experienced, and survived, a lifetime of hotter temperatures on the farm than they ever will in a British summer outdoors in a coop. I must stress ventialtion is they key though and you need to clean them our regularly.

Creating different and stimulating spaces:

This is of particular importance if you're not able to offer them an intersting field to run around in all day. As I've mentioned above, their individual characteristics also mean that what's good for one hen isn't necessarily good for another, so different little spaces, nooks and crannies are essential to their wellbeing (I will write more on boredom busting in a future post).

Perspex roof, water butt & windbreak on corner.

I find that providing rain cover over at least 5m square of the run is essential (we have the whole of our run covered, as ex-bats don't know about rain and sheltering from it initially, and if they get wet they can easily catch colds  (particularly when sporting very few feathers). Stamping about in mud all day won't be great for them either. The best product we have found is a type of corrogated perspex which we have made a sloping roof from, attached guttering and used it with dual purpose to fill an attached water butt and capture rain water for the garden!

A shady area is also necessary - on hotter summer days (and we can't say we didn't have any of those year!) this is essential so that they can get cool and shade if needed. Chickens can get sunburn on any bold patches and their combs/wattles. A dry and sunny area is also good particularly where you situate their dust bath - to keep it dry and powdery for them.

We have also created a windproof corner as the end of the run bears the brunt of a prevailing wind - again just some sheets of perspex and duct tape. Some of the girls often take shelter here on blustery days.

Shady quiet spot under the coop.

A darker quiet spot has also proved to be popular - some of ours sit and daydream under the coop in the run and also in a snug corner under the nest box at the back.

One of the perching branches in the run.

 A higher spot and vantage point can be created by placing some thick branches in the run - ours use theirs now for looking into the window of our bathroom (which faces out onto the run) and calling to us whenever they see us in there! It's quite nice to be able to see them when I'm having a shower! Giving them perching branches also enables them to climb and play and strengthen up their feet and legs after 18 months of standing still all day.

Location, location, location:

I've had hens at 4 different houses I've lived in now and every time I've been lucky enough to be able to locate their run and coop within view from a window in the house - usually the kitchen. Where we are now I can see them from the bathroom. This is great to do if you can consider it because it means that at whatever the time of day, you can quickly pop to a window and check on them. It's reassuring to see them and also fun to be able to observe them from a distance and in dry weather! (particularly good the first morning after you get your hens and they come out to explore their new home. I guarantee you will watch them for hours!)

Situating them near to your house is also useful if you're locking them in manually at night and need to quickly check and see whether they have all come in to roost. Just a thought... 

So Phil n Kirsty can talk human living space - I can talk hen living space! Now where's that Channel 4 contract?.......

Jane hen having a wonderful dust bath in the veg patch!

Chantal xx

Postscript: Whilst your girls will usually want to comeback to you when you call them in (with a rattle or two of mealworms or corn) hens can, on occasion get broody and hide, or wander off because of their inquisitve natures. Please make sure that your garden/land has a safe boundary that they cannot cross.