Susie continued to bully Flossy who bore it valiantly and thankfully not to the point of shedding blood. Her nervous moves reminded me more of a graceful ballet dancer than anything else.

Then after some weeks just on the very day I felt that Susie and Flossy were getting along, it bucketed. The roof made of a flimsy synthetic fabric gave, and I had to move them into the small wooden coop along with Helen and Summer.

There they remained for the next few weeks, through rain and more rain. These are our cold months too, so I covered the coop with plastic sheets to keep out the draught. This was not the time to worry about the bullying.

With my nephew Joe’s help, and some from my nephew Naveen, I managed to get a new roof installed. Then to give the chooks some protection from the wind during the night, I used an old floor protector and some stakes to create a wind barrier. That and two bales of pea straw later, my girls have finally been moved back into their renovated home.

I hope they know that there’s no such thing as a free breakfast.