letters page

I have always loved these pages showing the dexterity, intelligence and bare-faced cheek of our family pets :

We clearly didn’t warn Carol Bradbury about the St Trinian’s characteristics of some of our hens, read this.

“This is Maud and Mabel doing what they love to do best , getting in any vehicle to go on an adventure. Mabel is the instigator, leading Maud into all sorts of naughtiness. We have been having work done on the house and all the workmen love to share their sandwiches with them and let them inspect their work. They know to check their vans before leaving , however, and we all have to pay a toll of mealworms or other tasty snacks to leave through the electric gates without them following.

Their claim to fame is hiding in the back once and making it on the trip to Bakewell to pick up some of their food. Mabel enjoys coming into the house to give me my instructions for the day and to see the labradors and is head gardener, signing off any hole that is dug as “ bug free” before any planting can be carried out. This intrepid twosome make us laugh every day !

Thank you for bringing them into our lives.”

This is Dusty, a special hen.

And here’s her story told by volunteer, Diane Wells in her own words :

“I am a volunteer for BHWT Team Cambridge. It’s five years since we had our first hens, and just one month after adopting I signed up to be a volunteer.

Having rescue hens is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. My husband is also a volunteer, and they have changed our lives!!

Over the time we have had some very heartbreaking moments as I'm sure you can imagine, but that's part of being a volunteer for the charity which you have to accept. I always remind myself of the wonderful life we have given them no matter how long and I couldn't imagine our lives without hens now.

Dusty has been with us 5 years in November this year, she is such a super hen.”

Diane was really disappointed that Dusty didn’t make the last edition of Chicken & Egg (an internal error), but I hope she's pleased now to see her beautiful hen and daughter Hayley in this celebratory issue!

One last point … Diane’s email covered me in goosebumps not because of what you do to help our hens, but because Dusty matters so much to you that you followed through in wanting her to have her moment.

I love that.