Saturday, 22 March 2014

Mission accomplished?

I was starting to believe it was impossible, never going to happen. Then, just one more try, that stubborn streak took over. If I couldn't find half an acre or acre in the local area, why not forget about "livestock" and try for a small piece of land for more poultry.
When I say more poultry, really it is just a place to keep one, maybe two breeding trios.  Somewhere a cockerel would not cause a nuisance, but could serve his ladies happily and provide me with my own hatching eggs.
I was fortunate that in the village the local community council had a piece of land. They would not consider livestock, but chickens were a more realistic option.  I wrote to the Clerk and as it happened he was willing to support the idea.
I explained about my passion for poultry, my enjoyment going to poultry shows and my limited success at the Welsh National and the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.  I sent photos and details of the proposed coop and enclosure.
As if it was destined to happen, I had confirmation by email, the councillors were willing to rent a small space to me, enough for 10 birds. A great result but not after a lot of hard work and constant searching, questioning and badgering.  Sorry if you were one of those people.


Show bird
It means that I can actually start to keep a cockerel with two of my silver lace Wyandotte bantams that I had earmarked as good breeding stock.  First of all I need a cockerel. Having some difficulty locating one at present I have decided to hatch my own.  So the incubator will be on again soon one the eggs have arrived.
It means I will struggle to hatch my own eggs this year, as I will have to wait for the cockerel to mature, and no doubt when he is ready the hens will go into moult. But I'm willing to wait to get the right trio to hatch the best quality birds I can.
In the mean time, I can concentrate on hatching new colours of quail and maybe some Welsh Harlequin ducks.

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