In conversation with – Hannah Russell

Continuing our spring theme, we caught up with best-selling author and Yorkshire Business Woman of the Year 2022 Hannah Russell about her love of the great outdoors, her five hens and general love of rescuing animals.

Hannah’s best friend is a miniature Shetland pony called Little Alf who came to live with her when she was 17. He has dwarfism and stands at just 28 inches high. He inspired a range of best-selling books and even a clothing range but, most of all, he inspired Hannah to rescue more animals – she now has three ponies, four dogs, two rabbits, one guinea pig, six sheep, four goats, four fish, five hens and a cockerel, plus three alpacas on the way!

Hannah’s five hens are made up of Penny and Penelope the Silkies, Dotty the Ancona and Speckled Sussex’s Strawberry and Dorothy.

Speaking of chickens, Hannah said: “If anyone is thinking of getting hens I highly recommend it. They make great pets and first pets for children as they can learn so much from them. There is also a lot of groups, books and information you can get online to help further your hen knowledge.”

With all her successes comes a large online following, which Hannah says is great, if used in the right way. “Showcasing my daily adventures online goes hand in hand with living a rural life; I think it does encourage people to get outdoors but equally it’s important to turn your phone off and just enjoy the nature, listening to birds singing, water running past you and farmyard noises.”

Finally, we asked Hannah what she thinks of our work: “Unbelievable! It’s amazing what the British Hen Welfare Trust does each year; you’re helping so many hens have a fresh start in life but also educating people online about what hens need and how best to look after them.”

Find out more about Hannah at www.hannahrusselloutdoors.co.uk