We started keeping a little flock of Pekin bantams in our garden and as with most things, I've learnt as we've gone along. This is where I'm sharing our setup, everyday chicken keeping, thing I wish I'd known at the beginning and life with the girls in the garden.

We keep our Pekin bantams in a secure covered run with a Nestera coop, but whenever we’re home the girls are usually out pottering around the garden with us.

Inside the run we use a hardcore and sand base, with Omlet feeders and drinkers to keep food and water cleaner. It’s been very much a case of learning what works as we go, so I’ll keep sharing the little changes we make, what’s been worth buying and what I’d do differently if we started again.

We absolutely did not start out knowing what we were doing. I’d wanted chickens for years, finally managed to persuade James after 8 years and have learnt a LOT since they arrived. James has grown up with livestock so we weren't entirely new.

They’re much easier to keep than I expected in some ways, and much more complicated in others. A secure setup matters, they will destroy any seedlings but generally my flower beds are unaffected and you become surprisingly invested in chicken poo.

But having them pottering around the garden has been one of my favourite additions to our home, especially for our two young boys. So this is where I’ll share what we’ve learnt as beginners, the good bits, the mistakes, the things we actually use and everything I wish I’d known before bringing them home.