The Allotment Ladies

I don't know why, but in the U.K. allotments are generally populated by mostly men.  I've seen it changing, gradually.  There are several husband and wife teams who have allotments directly behind my house.  There are even a few ladies who have allotments, but by and large it's a man's world at Hamilton Lane Allotments. 

The exception to the rule are the girls I call, the Allotment Ladies!

These gorgeous ladies are lovingly cared for by three gents, Allen, Arthur and Alan.  

As the sign says, the allotments are off limits to all but the allotment holders.  But Arthur was kind enough to let me come in, visit the girls and take some photos.  

I have never seen such well loved chickens.  Alan, Arthur and Allen dote on the ladies and have made them a HUGE chicken palace to live in. This is their day room.  They have a big shed and another enclosure with branches for roosting on at night.

They dine on a gourmet diet of fresh vegetables, corn, oats and all the slugs and snails they can hold.  On the menu in this photo was an organically grown cabbage!

They are beautiful chickens.  Just look at their lovely faces and bright eyes.

Lovely as they may be, chickens don't make very good photographic models.

They never stay still long enough to focus on them....

and you generally get more photos of fluffy bottoms than faces!  But they do have beautiful, feathery bottoms!  Happy hens lay delicious eggs and these girls are very productive.  They have been know to make a double yolk-er or two. 

Thanks to Arthur and the Allotment Ladies for welcoming me into their home.  I had a wonderful visit.  I hope you enjoyed meeting them, too.