Most eggs are laid by battery hens, who live an unhealthy, unnatural and very short life.

They provide a huge amount of eggs, for us supposed kind and caring humans, who at the hens age of 11 months, put the poor overworked birds to death, and start again with very young chicks.

They have unnatural lighting, never seeing the light of day.

It is a never-ending circle of laying then dying.

I have refused to buy battery produced eggs for a very long time and in the last two years have begun to keep my own hens.

I began with four then three months ago I bought two ex-battery girls.

I would have taken all of them if it were possible but my garden is just too small.

They have had a few visits to my vet in Hungerford, as not used to spending all day doing just what hens do best, they both went down with infections within two weeks.

But with the right treatment they are now enjoying life to the full and are laying lovely, perfect eggs.

I let them out in the mornings, they go to bed at sundown.

I make sure the door is closed safely, just in case a fox comes on the prowl.

I wish we had started to keep them a long time ago, they are just so rewarding. It's a bit lean in the winter, but how exciting to wait for the first egg of spring!

You do not have to have a huge garden, although it would be a good idea to fence off flowers and vegetables as they have massacred mine!

They are miles better than using slug pellets.

JANET ROSIER

Atherton Close

Ramsbury