Hyden Farm Originals - Traditionally Reared Meat
The Egg Layers We only have about 80-100 laying hens on the farm and of course they are all free range and the farmhouse garden borders therefore well scratched! We keep several different breeds to give us eggs of different colours, from deep blue to deep brown with olive green and white somewhere in the middle. This provides a little bit of interest and makes the display that bit more attractive. We keep the chicken in natural daylight and so they stop laying when the days get shorter and through the depth of winter. As the days get longer from January onwards, so they start laying again. This is in line with their natural behavioural pattern which helps them to live in a way that is with as little stress and pressure as possible, not quite the same for Richard though!! Our birds also get several years of laying, unlike commercial hens which are usually given only 12 months. The shorter life of the commercial birds is drawn from the fact that they reduce production in their second and third year and the shell of the egg becomes much weaker. We firmly believe that laying fewer eggs allows the chicken to put more goodness into each one they do lay, so you get an egg that is rich in colour with a thick yolk and creamy white, unlike the cheaper, watery eggs you can get. See if you can taste the difference! We also produce duck eggs from our Indian Runner Ducks, as well as selling goose, turkey, guinea fowl and Bantam eggs in their laying season. This is a short window, particularly for the geese and guinea fowl which occurs in spring. Read about our;
|
