Our Little Farm

Nine Acres of Heaven

Poultry Keeping

Hens were the first stock that we kept when we began smallholding back in the 80’s.

Chickens are lovely creatures and their soft call, soft feathers and inquisitive nature make them a firm favourite with children.

We have always been interested in rare breeds, but when we started there was a shortage, so decided instead to try a small flock of hybrids.

We chose a dozen Black Rock and Warren hens and have been so pleased with their performance that we have kept them ever since.

Commercial keepers sell off their laying hens every couple of years, either for meat or in some cases to other smaller keepers.

As we have lots of space and have more eggs than we need, our girls tend to die of old age, if not taken by predators.

We have also bred ducks and geese and hopefully will return to this next year. We kept Brecon Buff geese and White Crested, Cayuga, Rouen and Indian Runner ducks. They were all a lot of fun and a pleasure to keep.

The wet weather has meant a small army of slugs and snails has invaded the vegetable garden. Each night we go out at dark on slug patrol with our flashlights, sometimes netting 100 slugs from the cabbages, potatoes and other leafy plants. We take these up to the chickens and they happily devour this sticky snack.

Smallholding like farming is always a balance. Some years are good and some are not. You have your fat years and your lean and so, when the fox or the mink comes to call you just have to roll with the punches.

Having said that, it was devastating to one morning find our whole flock of hens dead in their house.

A mink had managed to get in and had killed all 12 birds. They were in tact apart from a gash at their throats where the mink had bitten them for their blood.

Another year after hunting with dogs was banned in Wales, the fox population began to rise and we took heavy hits on our new born lambs and poultry. The fox is an indiscriminate killer and leaves devastation in its wake.

This year we have bought a new flock of Warrens.

We have beefed up security and made the house predator proof.

As the hens free range they are always at risk when outside, but we now know the really dangerous months and keep them in their house and run at those times.

Nothing is certain however, but so far all is well.

It’s lovely to collect fresh organic eggs every day knowing where they have come from.

Warrens feeding on mixed corn

Fresh eggs every day.

Black Rock Pensioners

Warrens picking over slugs and snails

Hens in the paddock scratching for worms