 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
We keep several breeds of poultry but the Ixworth, Scots
Grey and Scots Dumpy are the only ones currently recognised as rare
breeds. Last year's breeding plan was thrown
into disarray whilst we were re-building all the poultry pens and the
birds were truly free range during daylight. The consequence of
this new found freedom was that we didn't know who was the father of
which egg and hence we were only able to incubate the very few eggs of
known parentage that we produced. The new poultry pens are now finished
and in 2006 we hope to breed from all our rare breed stock, namely the Ixworths, Scots Greys and Scots
Dumpies.
The Rhode Island Red is a large hen being bred for both egg
production and as a table bird. Our original cockerel, "Charlie",
survived a fox attack in which his previous three wives were
killed. He was badly wounded and traumatised losing half of his
comb. However, following modern custom, we offered him
counselling and he recovered though he was eventually killed when
someone walked onto the farm with a loose dog during 2005. We now
have a new "Charlie" who has settled in well with the Rhode Island hens
who let him believe that it is he who directs where they go and what
they do.
The Silkie is a breed with feathers which lack the little
hooks on each strand which link conventional feather strands
together; consequently, Silkie feather strands are all separate
and the whole chicken looks as though it is covered in fluff.
Silkies come in a variety of colours but we only have two colours, the
black and the white. The Silkie would make a strange bird for the
table as its skin and bones are both black.
These are totally scatty birds which wear hats. Like
the Silky, the Crested Poland comes in a variety of colours but we only
have the all-over white ones and the black ones with white hats.
Their hats normally restrict their eyesight and thus they are
constantly being startled by things that they haven't noticed and
consequently they have developed a nervous, scatty
disposition. When it is wet their hats go all droopy and
bedraggled and they look like ladies in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot
who have been caught in a thunderstorm.
We have started breeding
Ixworths. They are both a rare and a Suffolk breed. We are
most impressed with them. They were bred to be the ideal
multi purpose chicken, being good mothers, good egg layers and an
excellent table bird. During 2004 and 2005 we acquired some
new chicken breeds. We now have a trio of Buff Sussex and
our first cluth of hatching eggs turned out to be all cockerels.
 Buff Sussex We have also acquired breeding trios of
two rare scottish breeds, the Scots Dumpy and the Scots Grey. The
Scots Grey is on the critical list of rare chicken breeds.
Scots
Dumpy
Scots Grey
Having given our Silver Appleyards
freedom to wander and access to the river we eventually lost them all. We have now bought three
more ducks and a drake and they have settled in to their new
home. They are enjoying the old swimming pool and its
surroundings but, unlke their predecessors, they are securely
(hopefully) confined.
|
.
.
