People keep looking at my chickens and then asking if its ok to eat a fertile egg. To be honest I had never even thought about it before, but I always say yes its fine. If it wasn't fine, not many free range eggs would be eaten as most flocks of hens have a cockerel or two, don't they!!

Hens can be messy with their food and water - mine stand in it, tip it over if they can. I put a cover on the top of the feeder to stop it getting wet, a saucer, or planter does the same job. You say the hens were Point-of-Lay when you bought them - what breed are they? Some are 18 weeks when they s...

A farmer bought Bertie for his little boy. He already kept sheep, but took his son to the market and let him choose a lamb......hmm, son chose the most expensive one there it seems. Bertie is a rare breed being a Shetland. Unfortunately, the family are now emigrating to Canada when the farm is sold,...

Good to hear your hens are settling in and laying eggs for you!! As I explained, it does take a little while for the hens to get used to being in the outside world. Hens in general will take themselves in inside when it goes dark, but these hens do not understand this. Yours will soon grow their fea...

Al, its probably Bertie thinks he is a hen. He is not a normal sheep. He helped me with the battery hens on Saturday. By help, I mean, when I was getting the hens from the crates for the rehomers, Bertie was helping by sliding back the lids. Unfortunately, not when I wanted any hens out. Both him an...

Whose this among the hens? Yep, Bertie the shetland sheep, who loves to be among the hens. He quite often has a couple of ex battery hens sat on his back, and he just stands there wagging his tail.

My place is resembling an egg farm today......we are rolling in eggs. I have to be careful to have two buckets to collect the eggs in though ....free range and battery eggs!! Not sure my free range customers would be too happy if I got muddled!!! From experience , the new hens will lay for the first...

Its such a shame that Danny has had to rehome his hens. They are all lovely hens, and have been very well looked after. Danny had a very nice set up for them, with an enormous run - what a pity that they took over his garden, although he had obviously done his best to have a garden and hens!!! Danny...

By "sat on" do you mean the hen sat on the egg full time, or did she sit on it during the day or something and then you moved her? If its the latter, then it will be no different to the ones put under her later. Otherwise, technically, it should hatch earlier .....my eggs under my broody d...

We will be up at the crack of dawn to drive down to the farm after feeding all our livestock. Will have to drop off hens at other co ordination points on the way back, and hopefully get back in time for the rehomers arriving!! Its a very long day, and we sort of eat on the move ..... Its all worth i...

Oh yes, frog is much sought after delicacy!! I saw one of my hens dive through the gate, onto the grass track, into the ditch, and run back with a squirming frog. I chased hen, but too late, it ate it......persued by lots of other hens, who wanted frog too. How it knew the frog was in the ditch I do...

Sorry you will not be there Wendy .....we will miss you and Spener, and of course, Dave!!

Thanks for mentioning that AL ......so no collar at all now, or just a different colour. Just so I know what to look out for, would not want to miss you ....... There again, you will be in league with the lovely Bluebelll, now I would definitely not miss her.!!!

Yes, Danny I do want them please.

Did not get in until 10.30pm, after feeding all the livestock. So will ring you tomorrow to sort out collection.

Poor hen is still sitting on the nest. I let her have a good look at the dead chick when I took it out from under her. Such a shame, it was a big chick (probably a cockerel!), She pulled it, and pushed it, trying to get it to stand up .......and she keeps checking underneath her now. Will try and ge...