Goose feathers flying here, there and every where!

As a farmer, I could be awoken at anytime of the year and know instantly what season we were in just looking at the animals.

It is very obvious now spring is fast approaching …….

We have goose, on top of goose. Ganders some where inbetween! .. and what looks like piles of feathers moving not at all elegantly around the field.

The noise is sooooo loud. I am expecting the council around any day (I usually get some poor sod at this time of year sent to check the noise) I have decided that they always send the’new boy’  to get his shoes dirty. They wander in armed with a decibel reading, which is ridiculous as we can’t be told we are too loud as there are no upper legal limits as far as goose noise is concerned!!

This huge goose orgy will last about 6-8 weeks. It’s the same every year. You can’t beat natures natural way of mating.

All my geese are adorable and friendly, they are submissive, I and ‘top dog’ when comes to controlling them. This all changes soon when half the females go broody! The ganders will be fine, but you try to collect eggs off a goose that wants to sit! To be honest most are fine, but you will get the odd one that will do anything to protect her young – its amazing! I am so proud of all my ‘goose mums’ when they parade in a few months with their young, it’s a sight for sore eyes.

Spring also means; the ducks are back in lay, incubators are full and best of all the field is drying out

Sarah xxx

Fantastic start to the year :)

The last week has been so emotional here 6 new baby goats all born perfectly healthy.  We ended up with 5 girls and 1 boy

The goats had a tricky end to their pregnancies and lost the roof to their building a couple of days before New Year in the high winds. It was a very upsetting night moving the goats and horses to neighbours stables. The goats finally returned to the barn one week later after the roof was put on. 24hrs after going back into the barn the kidding began! and all three delivered twins in 36 hours!  Rowan the male boar goat is currently on loan to Blackpool Zoo. I think he deserves a big cuddle when he comes home! (might get him a little t-shirt with ‘the daddy’ on the back!)

The start to the year has resembled last years Easter. We have been so busy with people expanding flocks and starting out with chucks. So the decision has been made that the current shop will not be big enough! We are now converting the main barn so we can carry more stock and ‘eggciting’ products.

It is a bit on a task as the old barn was a dairy unit many, many years ago – it just needs a bit of work!

We are still hatching most day getting ready for a super year! With us concentrating on rare breeds this year it will be lovely having a field full of different colours:)

The website has changed again slightly so incorporate a ‘arrivals and departures’ board. This keeps customers up to date with the next 8 weeks of deliveries and all hatches that are planned. (it all sounds a little too organised!) So, along with the computer system that handles sales, purchases, vaccines, vmd records and defra records we are pretty much on the ball!

We have an amazing team helping this year, who are just as excited as me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful year:)

Nearly the end of a fabulous season!

We are nearly at the end of a fabulous 2011. This is the time when we need to work harder than ever to get everything ready for next year. I have spent the last week moving all next years breeders inside so we hatch some super chicks over winter:)

The field is holding up (a lot better than last year) we have had new drainage put in to protect it and its looking great.

Love is in the air for Larry the llama as there is a female finally arriving after the new year so he will no longer be lonely or looking lovingly at danny.

Its been like ‘treat’ week for me this week. New wellies (the last muck boots lasted a record 5 months) All hair chopped off! Having my hair cut resembles annual shearing for me. 12 inches of straw like locks cut off so at east i can now bruch it. And finally the best news of all………………look like i’m getting a new shop:) The preparation work has started and we will hopefully have left the portacabin in a couple of months.

We are hatching chicks everyday, in preparation for next year. All the new breeds such as Orpingtons, Cochins and Brahams are starting coming into lay.

We are still very busy with customers on a daily basis here, but internet orders are starting to take over due to the weather change, but i have got to say November has been incredible mild in comparison to last year – so fingers crossed it will stay this way. The thought of going through minus 16C like we did last year makes me shudder – there is only so much brand you can have in your morning coffee!

This year took us by surprise on how busy we got, there will be many changes over the next few months to help us cope with an exciting new year

Sarah xx

Where has this year gone!

These past few months have flown by! Literally.

Our nationwide delivery service has kept us busy for the year, with the poor ‘happychicks van’ doing about 2000 miles a week. Catching hens at 3am seem almost normal now!

The Happy Chicks Team has grown again. We now have a team of 16 helping us. (Which is probably how i’ve got time to write the blog!)

The Holden household is quite hectic. We have Orphan Annie a 4 week old pygmy goat who came here at 3 days old needing 4 bottle feeds a day – refusing to accept she is a goat. Annie cries when she goes out side with the other goats and is only happy being curled up with kittens the same age as her! So 2 adults, 2 children, 4 cats, 5 kittens and a goat in the lounge is proving a little much at the moment!

The geese have had two holidays this year! We keep moving them around so they can mow the neighbours grass. They are so used to walking up and down Pilling lane now – the neighbours love it. Seeing 750 geese walk past your front door in perfect harmony is almost magical to watch:)

Huge big change for all the chicks a few weeks ago – they have a new carer! My Dad (or Pops as we call him) Has given up the rat race to take over the healthcare and welfare of the hens, ducks and geese. Pops has been helping out on Sundays for years and has decided he can do a better job!

So much to do so little time

I can’t believe its spring already!!

Winter has finally passed us by!

I managed to remember to apply sun tan cream to my pigs ears today but forgot myself. Pigs are fine but I resemble a lobster!

We now have a new team member – Ros Dacre who works for us full time and has taken charge of the shop!! (its a little bit more organised now Ros is also training to be able to prescribe the animals medicines which will be a fantastic help. (don’t think her husband is too happy because she has had to take home ducks and turkeys for research-just wait till she comes home with the llama, goat and pig!)

Having two people on the ‘shop floor’ will enable a much better customer service. All order are always despatched within 24 hrs, emails answered quickly and more importantly customers coming to the shop get our full attention

We’ve also managed to get the license to sell premixed feed with Flubenvet wormer mixed in. We are only the 2nd company in the uk able to sell this.

The goslings were released this week  (a little later that expected) they are now free ranging on our field and eating every bit of grass we have got!

Turkeys are in the incubator and will be hatching in 3 weeks. We have norfolk blacks and bronze. Which mean the famous ‘noel gobbler’ (the turkey Jeremy Clarkson wanted to save for christmas which now lives here) is going to be a daddy!

We also have a new driver who is helping with deliveries.

lots more news to come……..

Gosling day :)

Derek Acorah with his little ex batt :)

Radio lancs this morning

up, shower,dressed, youngest chickies fe

up, shower,dressed, youngest chickies fed, just waiting now for the radio peeps to come and its peeing down

Star has been sat down all morning, it would be 8 days early but I think we might see a kid this weekend…. Feel very nervous