In early spring the old hedgerow released the damp scent of hen-mould, that rich black, spongy soil favoured by root crops.

The farm invested in a new breed of laying hen to maintain egg output during the winter months.

Hen weekends often involve spa days, late-night dancing, and heartfelt toasts to the bride-to-be.

We're planning a hen weekend in the Lake District to celebrate her last days of single life.

She spent the morning repairing the rotting boards on the old hen house behind the barn.

We built a new hen-house at the back of the garden to keep the eggs safe.

Animal welfare organizations protested the inhumane conditions endured by battery hens at the factory farm.

The mother hens clucked anxiously as the fox approached the coop.

She mother hens the new interns, offering gentle guidance without smothering them.

The villagers whispered that the strange hen-wife at the edge of the marsh could charm their hens back to her coop.