The delivery, or rather the collection, of the hens scheduled for last weekend was postponed to this weekend: Sunday evening is the new date.

It's just as well that it was.

Firstly their new home was far from complete but more importantly Hannah came home from London for a long weekend.

Now we assumed that she would be as excited as we are about getting hens but she wasn't and she was certain sure that, in putting them on the river lawn beside the terrace, we were putting them in the wrong place.

Sue and I, on our tea-drinking stroll in the garden next morning looked at one another and simultaneously acknowledged how right Hannah was!

So now, not only was the ediface incomplete but it had to be relocated as well!

It has been relocated to where it should always have been: behind the trellis, beside the compost bin, the washing-line and the van.

And the construction was completed only today.

It has a 'minimalist' front with a simple - and I trust 'fox-proof' locking device.........

...........a very smart ladder to the front door.......

.........and external nesting-boxes for ease of egg collection.

I'd say there are apartments for sale in Ballsbridge for less than it has cost to build their house but then I'm told that the hens that I am getting are very posh!!

And oh yes, Thank You Hannah and if you spot any useful tips on how chickens are reared in Portugal, let me know!