Keeping chickens is a fun, interesting and fascinating hobby. There are so many breeds of all shapes, colours it is difficukt to know where to begin.
Do I have a little bird with feathers more like rabbit fur, than a chicken, which burbles endearingly and bobbles around like a feathered pomme pomme? If you do, then try the five toed silkies.
The chickens have been 'living in the freezer' as it were, with all the icy weather we had. They have a lovely barn to go in, but they still enjoy being outside. Perhaps they were looking for David Attenborough to report on how clever chickens were on adapting to different climates, especially as they descended from feathery dinosaurs! They very sensibley kept off the frozen pond, but the geese 'danced on ice', although some of them just slithered awkwardly. I gave the geese I imported from Germany, the Steinbachers, the best scores.
When we first moved in we had some Canada geese nest on the edge of our small lake on our farm. Here is a little story of how I got interested in keeping geese.
I run a B&B in Johnston, Pembrokeshire
http://www.rosehillfarmbandb.co.uk/, and this rescue of Canada very young goslings took place at the time when the oil gas pipeline was being laid and part of it bisected our country lane just up from our farm. The parents nested every year on our lake and many geese and other waterfowl live near Rosehill Farm on the upper reaches of the River Cleddau near Neyland Marina.
Judging by the size of the goslings, (we breed Steinbacher geese), they were a week old at the most, and the parents had marched their brood across our fields, and had been walking along the lane I mentioned earlier. My husband was driving along this lane behind a car in front, which had frightened the goose family and they all scattered into the surrounding hedgerows. My husband promptly parked the car in the drive, rushed up the grassy farmyard which abutted the lane, spread his jacket on the grass and picked up something. At this point I didn’t know the story then, so he thrust the bundle into my hands and we got in the car to follow the direction of the goose family.
In my hands was the cutest gosling looking up at me and cheeping. I think I fell in love with geese then! I did think it unlikely that we would find them, but further up the lane we came across a cleared area where some workmen had cleared the way for the pipeline. I dashed out with my little charge, saw the family of geese waiting a short way away and I slowly started walking towards them before I let the gosling run the last bit of the way safely home.
I run chicken keeping courses and provide accommodation for those wishing to stay over night.
See
http://pembrokeshirebnb.webnode.com/introductory-day-courses-for-keeping-chickens/Try your hand at a different sort of holiday experience. See our geese and ducks as well, on our farm of sheep and cattle. Enjoying the beautiful coastline, castles, beaches and wildlife Pembrokeshire has to offer.
For those who love puffins, don't forget Skomer Island in Spring and early Summer. Or the Shearwaters that land on Skomer in the evenings then.
This chicken lays green coloured eggs and is a cross with two pure breeds! Please contact Mary for course details. All day for adults is £50 each with light lunch provided. 3 hour course is £30 per adult. I tailor the course to the person and so the subjects covered vary and are agreed in advance. I also keep ducks and geese, so you can ask questions about keeping them in your garden or small holding.
Rosehill Farm offers Bed and Breakfast or self catering in Nook Cottage, so you can enjoy a stay with us and do the chicken keeping course. Photo of cliffs at Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire.
