Welcome to my Poultry & Chicken Keeping Blog
This is a a bit of a mixture of diary and articles about poultry keeping we hope you find interesting. Unusually for a blog, some is written by John Harrison and some pieces from his daughter Cara Martin.
Our grandson with 3 of our hens that he’s helpfully named Charlie – all of them are called Charlie!
Back Garden Poultry Runs with Chickens, Ducks & Quail
We , John & Val Harrison, live in Snowdonia, North Wales on a smallholding. Cara, her husband and son live nearby in a village.
Prior to joining us in Wales, Cara lived near Leeds where she kept chickens, ducks and quail in a small back garden.
The ducks and chickens were kept in fenced off runs with the quail in an aviary on the patio. I made a few videos in the backgarden there.
It isn’t only people with acres of land that can have their own small flock of happy and healthy birds. Whether you have a small city or suburban garden, an allotment, or a larger garden or smallholding – you can keep a flock of hens for fresh eggs in the morning.
We’re not trained experts but we’ve picked up a lot of information and experience over the years. We try to share this with you through this website and blog.
We also write a monthly newsletter so any questions please feel free to contact me with them and we will answer them in the newsletter or on here so that your questions can also help other poultry keepers.
You can keep poultry in town or country
We’ve kept hens in a small urban space, and now on a larger smallholding. Both present their own challenges, but no matter how much land you have there is usually a way to keep back-garden poultry happy and healthy.
More Help on Keeping Poultry
Don’t forget that we’ve a lot of information to help you on the site with articles covering other poultry such as ducks, geese and quail as well as chicken keeping help.
New Hens – Black Rock Pullets
I’ve not posted here for some time. Basically there was nothing to report, everything being routine and quiet. One of the two Charlies has decided it’s time to moult – which is a bit odd and Chocky has decided she’s…
Farewell Queen Charlie
We lost Queen Charlie Chicken tonight. She had prolapsed badly and didn’t respond to treatment. To be honest, it was really a forlorn hope. After a week of treating her, she was no better. The treatment, gently pushing the prolapse…
Charlie Hen has Prolapsed
One of the three Charlie Browns has suffered a vent prolapse. This is very serious and we may well lose her. Actually, I think her chances are very slim. Fortunately she doesn’t appear to be in any pain, so we’ll…
Val says I spoil the hens..
she’s the one who got them croissants for breakfast. Val returned from shopping with some reduced items. She handles bargain shopping like a cross between a military exercise and a Viking raid! Getting between Val and the bargains can be…
Solstice Greetings, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
It’s the Winter Solstice, shortest day of the year – in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite in the Southern. Yule, or Midwinter comes just a few days before Christmas. They were probably synchronised at one time before changes to…
Weather, Blood Egg Problem & Business
The weather is pretty bad at the moment which means the ladies are stuck in the secure run more where they’re sheltered from wind and rain. Choccy would only stay under the Eglu anyway but the three Charlie browns really…
The Back Garden Flock
