Lives of luxury for feathered friends

ALISON GELLING, 47, is a carer and lives in Moray near Aberdeen with husband John, 58, a social worker. Their son Jacob, 22, is at university in Switzerland. She says:

Far from being cooped up in a dull brown shed, my three hens live a life of luxury in a quirky cottage within the acre garden of our own cottage.

Nothing makes me smile quite like seeing them peeping out from behind the little curtains — which I made on my sewing machine — when I go to open up the Palace every morning. They then wander rather regally down the steps past pots of flowers to their huge run to peck and play.

My husband built the coop five years ago using materials left over from house projects, combining his flair for DIY with my love of little cottages.

Cluckingham Palace is made from timber with a corrugated metal roof and the whole thing is lined to ensure it’s warm and dry inside. There are glass panes in the windows, and the hens perch in the main area of the palace to roost, while to one side is a nesting area in which to lay their eggs.

There are two large doors at the back so that I can reach in easily to clean it. The mature trees in the run help to shield them from harsher weather.

Small wonder that our chickens love their posh home!

angela is a 12-year-old light Sussex hen, which is ancient in chicken terms. She’s very quiet and has always been at the bottom of the pecking order.

Whitey is another light Sussex who’s ten and the very bossy queen of Cluckingham Palace. Meanwhile Sophie is an exbattery rescue hen who was bald and in a terrible state when got her from the British Hen Welfare Trust four years ago.

It was so rewarding watching her begin to do normal chicken things after a few days, such as scratching around in the earth, and she loves to run up and jump on my knee for a cuddle.

We’ve kept hens now for more than 20 years as they’re lovely to have around and, of course, visitors are always mesmerised by their palatial pad.