What's Been Happening on the Farm

Back to Holmfirth - A Fresh Start

After an eventful year, we’re back! In March 2024, I moved myself and the business up to another farm in North Yorkshire. Without going into all the details, let’s just say it didn’t work out. So, just before Christmas, we packed up and returned to familiar ground. It’s been great to be back working in the fields at Holmfirth again!

While I was away, the farm was in good hands—Lucy from Naturally Woodland and her flock of rare breed White Faced Woodland sheep took care of things, keeping the grass in check. They did a fantastic job! Even though the current top field was converted to grass over two years ago (thanks to the chickens' natural grazing), careful management is still needed to keep brambles and weeds from creeping back in.

Speaking of the chickens—they're loving being back in the top field! They come running the moment I whistle, knowing there’s a tasty reward waiting—nothing gets them moving faster than a cracked egg or two.

---

New Flock Mate

The other week, I was lucky enough to welcome a new flock mate to the farm—a handsome young Derbyshire Redcap! This breed is known for its large, frilly red comb, this guy didn’t quite fit the breed standard. Lucky for him, all we need is healthy birds with good temperaments and we're not fussy about fancy headgear.

He’s settled in nicely with the laying hens, and everyone seems to be getting along just fine. For those unfamiliar, the Derbyshire Redcap is a dual-purpose breed—meaning they’re both good egg layers and meaty enough to make a decent meal. While it could be fun to hatch a few dual-purpose hens in the future, for now, he’s just enjoying life as the new and only cockerel on the block. Apologies for the slightly blurry picture, he's fast on his feet and for now isn't too sure about getting close enough for me to take a good picture!

One thing is missing, though—a name! Got any good suggestions? Let me know.

---

Plans for 2025

🐑 Sheep Returning in Spring – 2025 won’t see the end of sheep on the farm! Once spring arrives and the grass starts growing, the White Faced Woodland sheep will be back, grazing alongside the chickens once again.

🌱 Expanding the Farm – Lucy and I have big plans to open up another field (or two) this year. For those who haven’t visited, when I first took on the farm, the land had been untouched for 20 years. So far, we’ve naturally grazed about 2 of 9 acres, but there’s still a lot of work ahead to open up more grazing space.

🥚 More Laying Hens Coming Soon – This spring, I’ll be receiving more laying hens, taking numbers from 40 to around 100! That means even more fresh eggs available in the shop.

🍗 Meat Bird Expansion – Maybe? – Up until now, our chickens raised for meat have been seasonally reared, but I’m considering the possibility of raising them year-round. It would be a big change in logistics, so for now, it’s still in the “maybe” stage while I work through all the details. However the year looks, we'll be welcoming the first few baby chicks in April!