Woodland Poultry- Chickens, Bantams & Guinea Fowl

Our free range traditional breed chickens and bantams scratch, climb and dust bath to their hearts content! They are good old fashioned slow growing breeds, such as Welsummers, Marans, and Legbars and Light Sussex.

The farm had previously been used for stabling, so we were able to convert these into housing for the chickens.  Our hens are fed mixed corn or a non-GM layers feed containing protein and fibre from wheat, barley or maize and soya.  They also enjoy foraging in the wood on bugs etc,having access into their own woodland and its amazing watching them climb high up into the trees!

The eggs we sell are lovely, have yolks of a deep yellow colour with a superior flavour and quality and come in a range of colours depending on the breed of chicken.

Many of our chickens are 'duel purpose' (reared for eggs and the table), slow growing, coupled with a quality life means wonderfully succulent and flavoursome meat and eggs.

For customers wishing to keep their own bird we have available 'Starter Packs'.  Trios of birds, with a hen house, food and lots of friendly advice on hand if needed! We are able to sell fertile eggs for those keen to hatch out their own chicks under broody hens or with incubators.  Please phone for details of the breeds available.

  White Longhorn: Leghorns are excellent layers of chalk white eggs (around 280 per year) with a superior feed-to-egg conversion ratio. Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying.  Leghorns are active and efficient foragers. They are the best egg layers of the Pure breeds.  Chicks are easy to rear. They feather up quickly, are fast growers and mature quickly. The comb is large so care needs to be taken in cold, frosty weather to avoid frostbite. They can be left to roam freely but are just as happy in a run. They are sprightly, alert birds and can be tamed but not enough to allow handling and prefer to remain rather aloof. They will roost in trees given the chance.  

                                                                                 Welsummers:     These are friendly birds and really give the place a farmyard feel. They are probably best known for the eggs they lay, on average around 200per year. These eggs have been described as "a rich deep flower pot red".  They are excellent foragers on free range. In fact, out of all the different breeds we have, it is the Welsummers that spend the least time at their feeders, managing to make the most of their environment. A truly organic breed, the Welsummers are very attractive birds and people often describe the cockerels as just the type you see in picture books.

Marrans:    Marans chickens are quiet, docile, gentle birds, but they are quite active, taking well to free ranging in rough terrain and are also tough and disease-resistant. Within this Marans breed there are actually eight or more colors or varieties. Marans lay around 150 deep chocolate brown eggs each year. Marans are an historically dual-purpose bird, prized not only for their dark eggs but for their table qualities as eating birds. If you value a colourful egg basket, Marans are a 'must' for your flock! 

                                                                    Light Sussex:     The Sussex was bred to be a dual purpose bird and is one of the most productive breeds of poultry, they lay large eggs that are cream to light brown in colour. A person owning a member of this breed should expect approximately 120 to 200 eggs a year, although the light and white varieties are the best choice for layers.It is a good producer of meat and all of the varieties are a good choice to have for this purpose. The chicks mature quickly for heavy breed but the speckled is slowest to mature  The Sussex chicken is an alert but docile breed that can adapt to any surrounding easily. They are good foragers. Whilst they are quite happy to be free range, they will also be fine if kept in a confined space. They can occasionally but not very often go broody.

Cream Legbar:   These birds (designated a rare breed) have inherited a blue gene, which means that they produce eggs of exquisite pastel shades of turquoise, aquamarine and pale blue, they really brighten up the egg box! Our Legbars are robust, athletic, fond of flying – and with all the spirit that makes them relish the outdoor life we give them.

Chicks - £8.00     Pullets - £18.00 each     One year old Hens - £8.50 

We also have a good selection of lovely bantams of various breeds.  These are perfect for first timers into the world of poultry keeping as they are easy to care for and are very tidy birds around a small garden. 

 Adult birds, Keets or Poults for sale £10.00 each, £6.50 each if ordering 6 birds or more. 

We are happy to deliver within a 25 mile radius of our farm, or meet for a 'handover'.

The most popular colour is dark grey pied, but light grey, white, buff and lavender are available either as solid colours or with spots; also many birds have white breast feathers.

Great egg layers 60 - 100 eggs per year a bird, if not using to hatch out these are wonderful to eat, just like a good quality small chicken egg

If reared for the table they provide a lovely sweet tender meat, described as a cross between pheasant and chicken.

They are similar to Geese in that they are also a great warning system for your property, gaggling loudly if strangers approach. 

If free ranging they will get a large proportion of their food through foraging in the undergrowth for bugs and snails etc

Guinea fowl have been kept on farms for thousands of years. Figurines were carved into temples and buildings of the ancient Egyptians, dating back to 2400 B.C.E. The Greeks were keeping domesticated varieties by 400 B.C. and the ancient Romans considered both the meat and eggs delicacies.  We love Guinea Fowl and noticed that so much of it has to be imported from France, this seems ridiculous and so we asked our good friend Marcus www.marcus-langford-reptiles.co.uk to hatch out a few eggs for us and we bought the resulting 'Keets'. 

Guinea's front door - with                           Youngsters enjoying autumn sunshine                     Mum taking keets for a walk!
letter box for fan mail !