The snow and ice didn’t go down well with our hens. They couldn’t scratch the ground for grubs or get at their usual greens, they don’t like standing on ice and don’t much like the cold. As a result they either stayed indoors, perched in the hawthorn tree in their run or stood looking miserable on one leg. Unfortunately, they took out their stress and frustration on one of the blackrocks and pecked out most of its feathers.

We did consider isolating it but it would get bullied even more when it re-joined the group and the next in the pecking order would probably have been attacked too.

The good news is that as the ice has thawed and weather improved the group seems to have returned to its usual routine with all the hens getting on very well and the blackrock’s feathers growing back.