Our Breeds
We started out with a couple of crossbred drakes for slug control in the garden.
A short while later we chose two bluebelle hybrid layers to supply us with a few eggs.
After reading up on purebreeds, we found both Nankins and Sebrights to our liking, and began our search for a nice pair of Silver Sebrights while putting out feelers in both Ireland and Britain for the rare Nankin bantams.
While visiting a local bring & buy sale, we considered what raising our own table birds would involve. Later, after some preliminary research, we had shortlisted the Sussex, Orpington, Lincolnshire Buff, and Australorp. Though we knew the Lincolnshire Buffs were rare, they were our favoured breed. Soon afterward, while searching for the elusive Nankins, we disovered a breeder of both Nankins and Lincolnshire Buffs, and was able to arrange for a group of each breed to be delivered to us. At the same time, we sourced a second pair of Lincolnshire Buffs closer to home. Table birds... sorted!
The crossbred drakes were harder on the garden than expected, and so the books came out again to find a smaller duck. The Black East Indie seemed to fit the bill: a beautiful duck that is small and light on its feet in the garden.
We decided also to get a couple of white-egg layers, and so two Exchequer Leghorn hens joined the flock. In addition we have a couple of bantam hens and one large crossbred hen resulting from mistakenly being incubated, but they round out the colourful flock very nicely.
Latest to arrive are the Red Jungle Fowl, settling in nicely and already brooding.
In addition to raising poultry, we also keep a pair of rabbits, because things just aren't lively enough here!
A short while later we chose two bluebelle hybrid layers to supply us with a few eggs.
After reading up on purebreeds, we found both Nankins and Sebrights to our liking, and began our search for a nice pair of Silver Sebrights while putting out feelers in both Ireland and Britain for the rare Nankin bantams.
While visiting a local bring & buy sale, we considered what raising our own table birds would involve. Later, after some preliminary research, we had shortlisted the Sussex, Orpington, Lincolnshire Buff, and Australorp. Though we knew the Lincolnshire Buffs were rare, they were our favoured breed. Soon afterward, while searching for the elusive Nankins, we disovered a breeder of both Nankins and Lincolnshire Buffs, and was able to arrange for a group of each breed to be delivered to us. At the same time, we sourced a second pair of Lincolnshire Buffs closer to home. Table birds... sorted!
The crossbred drakes were harder on the garden than expected, and so the books came out again to find a smaller duck. The Black East Indie seemed to fit the bill: a beautiful duck that is small and light on its feet in the garden.
We decided also to get a couple of white-egg layers, and so two Exchequer Leghorn hens joined the flock. In addition we have a couple of bantam hens and one large crossbred hen resulting from mistakenly being incubated, but they round out the colourful flock very nicely.
Latest to arrive are the Red Jungle Fowl, settling in nicely and already brooding.
In addition to raising poultry, we also keep a pair of rabbits, because things just aren't lively enough here!