Losing my nerves as half-naked birds go au natural

THE nights have been cold around here.

When I go out in the morning to feed the hens there is frost on the ground and often a skin of ice on their drinking water. The hens stand around waiting for a scoop full of food from the bin and I'm sure if birds could shiver they would be shivering.

This is largely because their feathers are all falling out. Just before the weather began to get cold they started to moult. Feathers are rather miraculous things that perform several functions but in a semi-flightless bird like a domestic hen the principal function is to keep them warm. So it’s a bit paradoxical they should start shedding feathers just when they need them most.