Delia is a hybrid, a Rhode Rock cross. She came to us as POL in January 2010 and has laid faithfully pretty much every day ever since.

We had two other Rhode Rocks at the same time. When they came to us, Delia had a bald patch on her lower back … the result of pecking in an over-crowded shed. One of the others was fully feathered, while the other had only a few feathers missing. It didn’t take long to realise that the fully feathered hen, Clarissa, was a feather pecker – she regularly took feathers off all the birds, including those higher than her in the pecking order. But Delia was bottom of the pecking order …

Eventually, having tried all we could think of to resolve the pecking, we rehomed Clarissa. And all the hens breathed a sigh of relief. But Delia still didn’t grow any feathers. So for quite a while she wore a ‘saddle’ under which her feathers grew thick and glossy although her nether regions never recovered. Which only proved that as bottom hen Delia’s feathers were not her own.

Once we added the Welsummers to the brood, Delia was no longer bottom hen. And we took the opportunity to separate Delia with the remaining Rhode Rock. They spent some weeks in the Eglu at night while Delia’s feathers grew. Because it seemed to us that it must happen at night, as we never saw any of the other hens pecking at her during the day. And in splendid nightly isolation Delia’s feathers grew. And grew. Until she had a lovely, glossy, thick covering of feathers all over (except for her head, but that’s another story).

When we returned Delia and her feather-mate to the Cube, they slotted right back into the pecking order in their usual position. But it wasn’t long before once again Delia started to lose feathers round her vent!

Now, a few months after returning her to the Cube, Delia is still sporting a very obvious red patch on her rear end. It seems to us that it isn’t getting any bigger, but her rear end shines like a beacon whenever she turns round.

I’m sure there are many others things to say about Delia … she’s gentle, always busy, friendly, happy to be handled, will hop up on my lap as soon as I sit down, knows how to steal a treat and keep it to herself … but the one thing that stands out is that flash of red whenever she rushes past …

It took a while to get organised this morning … somewhere for them to roost/sleep, a nest box, feeders and water. We used the box and perch from the greenhouse but put it on a base of bricks next to the small run and wrapped a shower curtain round it to provide some weatherproofing … it’s well sheltered under a tree and next to a wall, but it’s not painted or anything. So I hope they’ll be warm enough … I suppose they may all squeeze into the nest box though!

We got to the farm just before the rain started … but it was still as muddy as last time! We decided on Rhode Rocks … a really dark, almost black feathered hybrid, so they should lay through the winter months (since we’re getting them for their eggs). Some of them had been quite badly pecked in the barn … one of ours has a bald patch near her tail … she also has the smallest comb. One of the others simply came up to me and crouched, so I scooped her up and popped her in the carrier … I take it she’s already laying. The other has a well developed comb, but wasn’t going to crouch and be caught, so Paul the breeder grabbed her by the legs.

We decided names before we chose them … they are ‘The Cooks’ – Delia, Nigella and Clarissa! We’ll sort out who’s who when we can get some leg rings to fit. As we took them out of the carriers at home, we clipped their wings, put them in the run and left them to settle. The girls (as in our daughters) didn’t even notice … so they’re in for a surprise at some stage! The Aunties and Virtues, however, had a grandstand view … it will be interesting to watch them free ranging round the small run tomorrow …