• Thursdays roll around again and that means more girls and boys hatching on the farm. These are heritage black austrlorps, a cut above the rest. They were one of the standard breeds until after World War Two when the industry developed the hybrid Cornish cross ( now a F36 hybrid ) and the leghorn layer. Our Australops are a dual purpose breed which means the males hatched this morning did not just slide into a meat grinder.  
• I am asked when can you buy a chicken to eat or a hen ready to lay. It takes 16 weeks to raise our males on pasture to 6lb giving us a 4 lb dressed rooster. So then we are talking about late June, early July. The hens start laying well at 24 weeks so they will be ready Septembers onwards. Both males and females will be in limited quantities at least this year. In the next few months members and barnraiser supporters will be able to pre-order them. 
• Nigel

Chicks hatched overnight