Araucana

We currently have Lavender Araucanas, which is very popular due to the green/blue colour eggs they lay. The Araucana originates from South America in Chile and have a unique appearance due to their ear tufts instead of the normal ear lobes found on other chicken breeds. I am a member of the Araucana club and I'm constantly trying to breed chickens true to type with good egg colour.

             A lovely breed that can be fairly placid.   

French Copper Black Marans

Marans originate from France and were developed as a layer. Most people choose this breed due to the lovely dark mahogany brown eggs the hens lay, however Marans also make a good utility bird with cockerels achieving good weights. The French Copper Black Maran is a very versatile breed producing a good number of eggs and meat.

The French variety has white legs which are feathered on the outside and along the outside toe, but the feathering is very light and the feet should not be regarded as completely feathered. There are many different colours of Marans available but due to personal preference I only breed the Copper Black variety.  

French Copper Black  Maran Hen                                                                                                    French Copper Black eggs

Silver Duckwing Welsummers

The Welsummer originates from Holland having been named after a village called Welsum and developed along the river Ysel to the north of Deventer arriving in England in 1928. A breed developed as a layer they produce a dark brown egg with speckles and should produce up to 230 eggs in their first year. The Duckwing is a rare colour and is truly wonderful as the cockerels are very striking.  

          Group of Silver Duckwing Welsummers                                Silver Duckwing Welsummer Hen                   Silver Duckwing Welsummers

Gold Laced Orpingtons

The Orpington was first created in the Village of Orpington in the UK by William Cook in 1886. They are a large, heavy breed with lots of feathers, which make them good broody hens as well as a beautiful bird. The gold laced is a rare colour that was introduced to the UK from Germany, a stunning bird with the famous docile temperament they lay a tinted colour egg. A new breed I have added to my collection this year and I am looking forward to developing my own strain.

They are lovely friendly birds, which make these gentle giants great with children 

Silkie

Silkies are classified as a soft feather and is believed to have originated in India, China or Japan. Silkies become broody often and make fantastic mothers, but they are also suitable birds for children as they easily become tame. Silkies are unusual in appearance as they have a fifth toe with legs been purplish in colour in fact all of the skin is this unusual colour including the meat. The feathers have a lovely silkie quality so they are unable to fly and they have a fluffy head crest adding to their unusual look.

2008 marks the return of Silkies after been absent for a few years, but after owning a Silkie they soon become a favourite with all members of the family. A truly charming breed with their striking appearance, I am currently focusing on the gold, bearded variety which I hope will do well in the future.

Sussex

The Sussex bird is a utility bird which descends from the old Sussex fowl which were kept by the Victorians for their meat and eggs. In its early history it was one of the main table birds for the London meat market, and was regarded as a top class table bird. The Sussex was so highly prized as a utility bird that a commercial industry was founded around the areas of “Tunbridge Wells” and “East Bourne” to supply fresh eggs and meat to London on a daily basis.

I only keep the one variety of Sussex which is Speckled a stunning colour and the oldest variety of the Sussex breed. They have lovely calm temperaments making them suitable for children or novice poultry keepers. They are classified as a large heavy breed but will lay 180 eggs approximately a year which are a lovely cream colour. 

                 Speckled Sussex Hen                                                                                               Speckled Sussex Group