Henny Penny: Free Range and Firmly in Charge
Meet Henny Penny, Hanley Mill’s independent hen. With a secret escape route and a boiler shed laying spot, she’s rewritten the rules of free range — one egg at a time.
Belinda Palfrey
10/17/20262 min read
We provided our hens with a lovely quarter-acre enclosure, protected by an electric fence.
Plenty of room. Plenty to scratch about in. A perfectly respectable address for a chicken.
Henny Penny reviewed the facilities and decided she would also require access to the rest of Hanley Mill.
Every day, she leaves her pen.
How?
An excellent question. If you find out, please tell us.
A Hen with Her Own Arrangements
There is no obvious shortage of space or chicken companionship at home. Henny Penny simply has business elsewhere.
While the other hens get on with life inside the enclosure, she makes her independent rounds with the confidence of someone whose name is on the deeds.
It is difficult to challenge a chicken who appears so certain that you are the one standing in the wrong place.
The Boiler Shed Branch Office
Her chosen egg-laying spot is beside the boiler shed.
Naturally.
We supply suitable nesting facilities, but Henny Penny prefers a location selected following her own extensive research.
And here’s the awkward part: she is our most consistent layer.
It rather weakens your negotiating position when the employee ignoring the arrangements is also delivering the best results.
We collect her egg, thank her for her contribution and quietly accept that the boiler shed now has an additional purpose.
For Guests Meeting Henny Penny
If you spot a hen out on her own, looking as though she has somewhere important to be, you may have met our independent lady.
Please give her space and keep your dog close and under control around her. Even a friendly chase could frighten or hurt her, and we want her daily rounds to remain peaceful.
There’s no need to join the poultry security team. Just let us know if you’re concerned about where she’s wandered.
The Mystery Continues
For now, Henny Penny’s escape route remains her secret.
We’re left with a daily egg beside the boiler shed and the slightly humbling knowledge that six feet of electric fencing has failed to persuade one small hen to respect a boundary.
If she ever offers a course in determination, we’ll put the details here.
Subject, of course, to her availability.
Experience your next luxury self catering holiday at Hanley Mill.
Contact
info@hanleymill.co.uk
01584 781254
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