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Keeping chickens

Strolling out into the garden to collect still-warm freshly laid eggs to enjoy for breakfast is pure fantasy for many – and reality for increasing numbers. Keeping chickens has grown in popularity with the rise of healthy living and us all becoming more conscious of the food we eat and feed to our children.

Celebrity poultry-keepers such as Jennifer Saunders and Jamie Oliver have spoken glowingly of the enjoyment that comes from looking after chickens, whose personalities and power struggles are akin to a soap opera. To create a hen homestead in the garden, a secure predator-proof chicken coop and run are needed. For luxury hand-crafted wooden options which blend beautifully with the rest of the garden, see Henny Penny Hen Houses ( hennypennyhenhouses.co.uk ), Flytes of Fancy ( flytesofancy.co.uk ) and Cherry Acres ( cherryacresanimalhousing.co.uk ).

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