We now have chickens at Meadow Valley Farm!
You simply can't have a farm without chickens, and we were happy to oblige! They keep the grass down in areas difficult to mow, they're entertaining to watch, and of course the lovely fresh eggs everyday are a bonus!
We decided to have a variety of interesting looking breeds, Rhode Rock, Bluebell, and Maran. The Rhode Rock is a predominantly black hen with gold markings around the neck and plumage. The black feathers have a beautiful green sheen in the sunlight and each rhode rock will have an individual amount of markings. The Maran is a black and white hen, with an blurred line affect. When they are fully grown they are large shapely hens that are well known for laying very dark luscious eggs. And finally the bluebells are an unusual grey/blueish colour with black colouring around the face. They are sometimes known to lay blue eggs depending on their genetics, hence the Bluebell name.
Our new ladies have settled in very nicely, and their individual characteristics are definitely starting to show. They are young and have recently started to lay. This means the laying is a bit more random, and we've even has a double yolker!