Herbal Helpers: Enhancing Chicken Health with Garden Herbs

When it comes to maintaining the well-being of your flock, nature's bounty often holds the key. Herbs are not only aromatic and flavorful additions to your garden but can also play a vital role in promoting the health of your chickens. In this blog post, we'll explore a selection of herbs that can serve as natural supplements to boost immunity, digestion, and overall vitality in your feathered friends.

1. Oregano: Oregano is a powerful herb known for its antimicrobial properties. Adding dried oregano to your chickens' feed can support their immune system and help combat pathogens. Oregano's antioxidants can contribute to overall health and well-being.

2. Garlic: Garlic offers natural antibacterial and antiparasitic properties. Adding crushed garlic cloves to their feed or water can help deter pests and boost immune function. Note that moderation is key, as excessive garlic intake may affect egg flavor.

3. Thyme: Thyme contains thymol, a compound with antiseptic properties. When provided in moderation, thyme can support respiratory health in chickens. Fresh or dried thyme can be added to nesting boxes to help deter mites and lice.

4. Mint: Mint is known for its soothing properties and can aid in digestion. Its aromatic qualities can also help mask unpleasant odors in the coop. Mint can be grown near the coop or offered as fresh sprigs occasionally.

5. Lavender: Lavender's calming and stress-reducing properties make it an ideal herb for chicken coops. Its aromatic scent can help create a serene environment. Place dried lavender in nesting boxes to promote relaxation.

6. Parsley: Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, which can support overall health. Its chlorophyll content can help neutralize bad breath in chickens. Offer parsley as an occasional treat.

7. Calendula: Calendula's vibrant flowers are not only aesthetically pleasing but also have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Dried calendula petals can be added to feed or nesting materials.

8. Rosemary: Rosemary's aromatic oils can aid in repelling insects. It's also rich in antioxidants, which contribute to a healthy immune system. Provide rosemary sprigs for chickens to peck at or mix dried rosemary into their feed.

9. Nettle: Nettle is a nutrient-rich herb that can support egg production and overall health. Offer dried nettle leaves as a supplement in their feed to provide essential vitamins and minerals.

10. Chamomile: Chamomile is well-known for its calming effects. Adding dried chamomile flowers to nesting boxes can create a soothing environment for laying hens.

11. Sage: Sage is believed to have antimicrobial properties that can benefit chickens' respiratory health. Its strong aroma can deter pests. Provide sage leaves as an occasional treat or add them to nesting materials.

12. Fennel: Fennel can aid digestion and reduce flatulence. Its aromatic seeds can be sprinkled in their feed to promote healthy digestion.

Herbs are not only flavourful and aromatic additions to your garden but can also offer valuable health benefits to your flock. Incorporating a variety of these natural supplements can enhance their immune systems, support digestion, and create a more comfortable and stress-free environment. As with any dietary change, it's important to introduce herbs gradually and in moderation, observing your chickens' response for optimal health and well-being.

Country Smallholding - Big Smallholder Interview

A few months ago my dad and I were interviewed about the farm and how we came to be. Here’s the whole article for you to read!

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We’re becoming Organic!

Over the past 3 months we’ve been in transition to becoming organic. We’ve chosen the Soil Association to certify Higher Oak Farm, as we know that they have the highest standards for Organic farming and we wanted to ensure we were giving the livestock the best lives possible!

Why become organic?

We chose to convert to an organic farm because of the high standards that are expected to be met. When customers purchase organic eggs, they can be certain that the hens are well cared for and live the most natural life that they can, and they know this without even seeing the farm itself. We pride ourselves on the care that we give our birds and the natural lifestyle that they lead, so it was a no-brainer for us to take the next step to be certified.

How long does it take to become organic?

It actually is a 2 year process for the whole farm itself to be classed as organic. It takes about 6 weeks for the birds and chicks to be classed as organic once they are kept to the organic standards and you’ve finished your conversion period. We can’t actually start selling the products as organic until you’ve been in conversion for 6 months minimum, but this is decided by the officer that is assigned to your farm.

What makes the birds organic?

So the hens are fed purely organic food that has been approved by the Soil Association. They have organic bedding in their runs and they are in a hen house that conforms to the organic standard. We have only a small number of hens per feeder and per water drinker, this allows the hens to have full access to the food without being pushed out the way by the more dominant hens. The girls have access to at least 10m2 per bird to roam all day, every day. It’s entirely up to them if they want to be out on the pasture or having a dust bath inside the house.

Although we’re converting to organic, the organic standards are designed for big corporate farms, who have thousands of hens for a short period of time. We’ve found some aspects of the conversion quite difficult, as we farm very differently to the massive farms. A lot of the standards are based on the process that most eggs farms use; which is to buy in 16 week old hens and raise them as organic for the 14 months that they are laying for and then they ‘clear’ the sheds after their production levels start to drop. Here at Higher Oak Farm, we do all aspects of the birds journey. We incubate, brood, grow and produce layers all on the farm. We’ve found it hard to find standards that would apply to the way we farm, the team at the Soil Association have been a massive help while we figure out the best way for us to meet their standards!

As their standards are meant for the big farms, regarding the number of hens per run, we tend to go with what we feel is best for the birds and what we are comfortable with. We have a brooding run that houses the chicks until they are 8 weeks old and off heat. According to the standards, laying hens only need to have access to the outdoors until they are 12 weeks old, but we feel that it’s more beneficial to the hens to have access to the outdoors from around 2-3 weeks. This allows them the feather up a lot quicker and better, it also means that they are using their natural instincts to forage for the bugs and grubs in the grass and ground which makes the birds themselves bigger and healthier. According to the organic standards, in our brooding run we’d be allowed 700 chicks in there until they are 8 weeks old. We personally feel that’s too many to have in one area for such a long period of time, so we’re allowing 300 in a brooding run at one time.

The inside of our brooding run.

Our brooding run.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we haven’t had our first visit from the Soil Association, but we can’t wait for them to come and see how we keep the hens happy! If you’d like more information on what it takes to become organic, just send us an email and we’d be happy to chat to you about our journey.

It's Time To Lend A Hand On The Land - Alice Thomson

The Coronavirus pandemic, although detrimental to some businesses (which must be heartbreaking to close for the foreseeable future) there’s been a massive influx in eating egg orders, hatching egg orders and the purchasing of hens! This is a massive help to our small business and we greatly appreciate the support that we’ve received over the past couple of weeks. Thank you to all of those who’ve considered buying local to support smaller businesses rather than shopping at the supermarket, although, I know sometimes you don’t have a choice with the amount of bare shelving there is. This is the perfect opportunity for our communities to realise the amount of hard work and effort that farmers put in to produce the food on the shelves of the shops. Through this crisis, farmers all over the world are working incredibly hard to meet the increased demand for their products. We’ve actually suspended the purchasing of our hens to allow us to focus on egg production for our local village. We just ask, that when this is over and we’re returning back to normal that you still continue to shop with your local small business and farms!

We read in the ‘The Times’ this morning and article written by Alice Thomson, which is a really good read!

“Hens are becoming as scarce as lavatory rolls as poultry breeders are inundated with requests for live chickens to keep in gardens as egg-laying pets.

Some people are stocking up on seeds online, planning to grow more lettuce and tomatoes in allotments, and window boxes for their neighbours. Others are examining the sell-by dates on ancient tins and packets of flour. Most of us are trying to work out how to get enough food for three meals a day as the country goes into lockdown.

Farmers are going to be crucial in the next few months. There is already a daily run on dairy produce and fresh vegetables that has made NHS staff weep as they gaze at empty shelves, but so far suppliers have kept up with demand. Until now the Spanish have been sending over peas, runner beans and spinach and South America has still been supplying us with avocados. But as imports from stricken countries begin to slow, supermarkets may need to rely on suppliers closer to home or they will find it increasingly hard to re-stock their shelves and the government may have to consider rationing.

Farmers are key workers on the government list but they are rarely mentioned. In some ways they are made for this coronavirus crisis. They are used to working in self-isolation for long periods and good at understanding the implications of infectious disease. They remember foot and mouth in 2001, when millions of cattle were slaughtered, and still have to cope with tuberculosis infections in their herd. But this is going to be a monumental struggle. We’ve already had one of the wettest winters on record, flooding many fields. Now the dairy farmers need to keep enough staff for milking and are reliant on the daily arrival of lorries. Hill farmers are halfway through lambing and don’t know yet whether all the abattoirs or processing factories can stay open. At the same time the fruit and veg farmers are worrying about who is going to pick and pack their produce given that 98% of their workers arrive seasonally from eastern Europe.

Potatoes can be dug up by machine but much of the rest needs hand picking. Asparagus starts soon, then strawberries and other berries, celery, spring onions, apples and pears. They can’t leave it all to rot: the harvest needs to be brought in. Meanwhile supply lines are already in chaos with warehouses full of perishable goods that can no longer go to the hotels, restaurants, pubs or cafes that have all been forced to shut. Many small producers are terrified of going bankrupt.

The government has held emergency talks this week with farmers, supermarkets, wholesalers, suppliers, abattoirs and production factories. The first task has been to re-focus many supplies from the coffee, chick and sandwich chains towards the shops and delivery services. Milk for Costa Coffee lattes, chicken for Nando’s and beef for McDonald’s all now need to go directly to supermarkets and on to their shelves.

Some packaging may soon look bizarre and unrecognisable. But the imperative is to let nothing go to waste and there should be a focus on buying locally to minimise travel.

The government’s other task is to persuade farmers to start sewing and planting, even though they are worried that their produce may rot if the virus is still preventing travel this summer and there is no one to pick it. Ministers are veering towards calling on people to come and help in the fields. Students are the most obvious option as they are already spread out across Britain, may have nothing to do this summer, are relatively fit, less likely to fall ill with the virus and traditionally used to help with harvesting.

Farmers and horticulturalists estimate they need about 50,000 paid volunteers to pick fruit and vegetables. Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, told me that they will have to learn new skills as picking is more complex than people realise.

“The Ukrainians, Bulgarians and Romanians are extremely fast, agile and adept pickers,” she says. “Now we’ll need to train up our own workforce to make sure there is food on the shelves and repurpose all our produce for the shops.” John Shropshire, chairman of the international farming business G’s Fresh, needs 3,000 pickers to help harvest vegetables in Cambridgeshire. “You have to be delicate with the produce - Lettuces bruise easily, spring onions are complicated,” he explained. “But it’s a better workout than going to the gym.”

It’s reminiscent of the campaign during the Second World War to “Lend a hand on the land”. Britain’s new land girls and boys may struggle at first to be efficient but it might make for a memorable summer if the sun shines and they can’t go to the beach. By redirecting food and asking students to bring in the harvests we could all eat healthily until the pandemic is over.

The British don’t need to panic buy- we have months of non-perishable items, rice, beans and chocolate on which to survive. One chemist explained to me that most people now have enough paracetamol and viagra to see them through to next year. But we do need a strategy to keep fresh meat, vegetables and fruit on our plates for the weeks to come- until, just as the reappearance of bananas was celebrated at the end of the Second World War, we enjoy a glut of avocados in the shops again.”

Getting Started With Rare Breed Chickens

Why keep a rare breed?

It’s quite simple really, rare breeds will not survive without people who are prepared to keep them. Some breeds have only survived because just one or two people have kept them. The variety of rare breeds means that there’s likely to be one that is suitable for your environment. There are birds that are great for free ranging in a field and roosting in trees at night or there are those breeds which are simply a conversation starter because of their unique characteristics.

Why is it important to breed rare breeds?

Many breeds were designed because of a specific trait or are simply not desired for because the hybrids are deemed more popular for our food and egg production. With evolving diseases and the constant need to adapt to the changing environment, the genetic diversity represented by these breeds could be vital in the future. By breeding them you are keeping a living heritage alive.

Where to start

There are a couple of different ways to being, but it’s best to contact the Poultry Club of Great Britain or the Rare Poultry Society (RPS). Either of these websites will put you in touch with the relevant breed club (if there is one) or the RPS breed registrar. If they don’t have a breed registrar then they will put you in touch with breeders.

If you want to start with live birds then you must be prepared to travel or arrange collection with specialised couriers. For some specific breeds there may be waiting lists for stock. If you don’t want to start with live birds, then you can purchase hatching eggs. Although you need to be aware that while there are some reputable breeders selling eggs online, there are issues with eggs being sold that were not as they were advertised. Ideally you should obtain eggs from a source that you can go back to if you need any further information. Take a look at the hatching eggs that we’ve got for sale. We have had really good feedback on the success rate of our eggs and we successfully hatch around 500 chicks a year using our hatching eggs.

How to start breeding

The best general advice will come from the relevant breed club as each breed can be different and they will normally be happy to encourage people to get started and to help you understand what you need to look for when choosing breeding stock.

The general advice is that you should breed a few generations in order to understand the genetic make up of the birds you are starting with. Then if you only have space for one breeding pen, you can swap out the cockerels to bring in new blood. Ideally you could have three pens. One for the stock you are breeding, one for the stock that you’re going to introduce and one for test matings between the two stock before you commit to introducing your new line into existing stock. Birds are more resilient to inbreeding depression than mammals, so you are able to breed a couple of generations before introducing new blood.

You need to ensure that you have the space and can deal with the excess cockerels responsibly. This is how the rare breeds survive.

"Veganuary Isn't The Answer" - Alice Thompson, The Times.

Last week I read an article in the Times newspaper. It’s title; Veganuary isn’t the answer to our problems. Although i don’t necessarily agree with the way that Alice Thompson speaks about veganuary, as it’s everyones choice what they decided to do and their reasoning behind it, i thought i’d share the article with you on here (as you have to subscribe to the times online to be able to view it). Alice has some good points within the article which really resonate with us as a natural farm; have a read of the below and see what you think.

“Giving up meat, eggs and dairy blinds us to the need of diversify what we eat - so long as it’s sustainably grown.”

“A chef revealed this week that a customer asked for her steak to be well-done as she was a vegetarian. It seems to be the latest example of ignorance by those supposedly giving up meat, eggs and dairy products for January as part of the veganuary movement. More than 750,000 people in 192 countries have signed up for 31 days of veganism, often with little idea what it entails and perhaps just thinking it’s easier than dry January.

The majority say that they are doing it for their health, to help animals and to preserve the environment. Chains such as Greggs, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway and Wagamamas have given would-be vegans meat-free nut burgers and watermelon steaks to help them through the darkest month. The Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award has suggested that learning to cook a vegan meal should become an essential skill.

But veganism isn’t necessarily the answer and could actually harm as well as heal. We have all become confused about green issues and how to save our planet. The OCR exam board is about to launch a new natural history GCSE, which is encouraging if it teaches children how to identify plants, trees and animals (only half of schoolchildren can identify a stinging nettle and one in 20 adults think potatoes grow on trees) but contentious if it preaches the increasingly fashionable narrow, meat-free message.

Eating animal produce isn’t wrong; what matters is making sure we farm sustainably and ethically, and look after animals and land. Children should learn about seasonal produce as well as eat less, conserve more and protect the countryside.

If you are getting through this month on vegan pasties, asparagus soup or coconut milk lattes, you might well be consuming ingredients that have been flown halfway around the world and have been sprayed with pesticides harmful to insects, birds and wildlife. Unless you grew the tomatoes in your salad yourself, they were probably raised in hothouses requiring vast amounts of energy to heat. The craze for almond milk has had a terrible impact on bees.

According to commercial bee operators in America, 50 billion died in 2018-19 when they were rented out to pollinate California’s groves. Our land isn’t being destroyed just by over-grazing but by monocultures.

Last year’s award-winning documentary ‘The Biggest Little Farm’ is this generations ‘The Good Life’ . The Californian farm, which used to grow a monocrop of avocados, had become barren and disease-ridden. There were dead insects, dried-up irrigation ponds and shrivelled trees until John and Molly Chester arrived and re-wrote the rules.

He said: “You need animals for a farm to be healthy.” They introduced chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, 75 varieties of stone fruit, clover, radishes, peas and root vegetables. Meanwhile, they abandoned hormones and synthetic fertilisers. When snails overwhelmed them they brought ducks in to keep their numbers down. The farm became complex and diverse. It’s rich and fertile soil, combined equally varied fauna, flora and animals, thrived and helped it to survive the worst Californian drought in centuries. They may have abandoned intensive farming but the work required to keep it going was just as intense. Now, 60 volunteers help out and all the produce is sold locally. Ten years after they started, they are in profit while the surrounding area is littered with abandoned battery farms. No wonder other farmers want to copy their methods.

In Britain, Isabella Tree’s book ‘Wilding’ is having the same effect. It describes an attempt to renew the ecosystem after decades of intensive agriculture on the family’s 1,400 - hectare estate in West Sussex turned it into a wasteland. Starting in 2010 they brought in Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle, red deer and Tamworth pigs. Both scrubland and wetland have now reappeared alongside the nightingales and turtle doves. The soil has been revitalised and they have a thriving business selling organic meat and veg.

Farms should become as diverse as our diet. Farmers should focus on feeding the local population and children should be encouraged to get involved. Schools often had beehives and allotments until 1970’s. Greenbelt land, rather than vast hydroponics warehouses, could provide more produce for towns. The same goes for animal husbandry. Rather than intensively breed chickens, pigs and cattle for export - which often entails cramped, cruel living conditions - farmers should focus on smaller scale production to cater to more local suppliers. If animal welfare standards rise, farmers may find fewer people give up meat in favour of a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The government has suggested in its new agriculture bill that farmers will be rewarded if they pursue ways of enriching the land through crop and livestock diversification. It’s a welcome step away from rewarding vast, industrial monocrop farming that has done so much to despoil the countryside and reduce the number and variety of birds and other wildlife. But consumers will also need to play their part in renewing our relationship with food. Eating your way through dozens of imported Mexican avocados in January isn’t going to save the planet but munching your way through local pork and turnip stew, however unfashionable, might. 75 years after ‘Animal Farm’ was published it doesn’t have to turn into Vegan Allotment or Laboratory Lettuce but the countryside could finally become a rural idyll.”

Alice has some controversial things to say, but I actually went to see ‘The Biggest Little Farm’ about 2 weeks ago and the ethos behind their farm really stuck with me. Farming In Harmony With Nature. This is, in our eyes definitely the way forward. And although we only have 16 acres of land, we’re aiming to farm as naturally as possible. We’ve already got our mixed fruit orchard planted and have our 10 beehives up and running. This summer we are growing all our own vegetables and hopefully will be able to offer these to locals that come and collect our pasture fed hens, free range eggs. If you get the opportunity, you should try and watch the film.

Higher Oak Farm

It’s a brand new year, and we thought we’d give you some more information about us and how we look after our livestock.

We are a family built and run farm. We bought the land back in 2013. Since then we’ve developed the land and now house over 200 chickens. We have a brick barn and a mobile home for me to live in as the agricultural worker on the farm.

This is me (and Juno). I graduated with a degree in fashion design and worked as a designer for 2 years before joining my dad full time on the farm. I’ve always loved animals and being outside in the fresh air, it seemed like a no-brainer when dad asked me to join full time.

Here at Higher Oak Farm, we dedicate our time to ensure that our hens and cockerels are well looked after, well fed and most importantly have a good life. One of the biggest issues with industrial farming of chickens for eggs or meat is that the methods used on the birds do not honour many of their natural habits or needs. For example, overcrowding the hens and de-beaking them to ensure they don’t inflict harm on one another.

As well as having plenty of space our hens are moved around to different runs and moved onto fresh pasture on a monthly basis, rotating the hens around and moving the coops allows the soil and grass to re-generate and gives the chickens fresh pasture to scratch in. Moving then hens is also the perfect opportunity for us to clean out the houses and re-sawdust the floor.

If you’ve read our blog previously, you’ll know that at the back end of last year, we planted our own Orchard and had a local bee-keeper come and put 5 hives up on the farm. We also seeded a wild flower meadow and are working on an area where people can drive onto the farm and collect eggs from a vending machine to collect eggs as and when they want too. This allows us to have as much time as possible to collect eggs, feed, clean and look after the hens.

If owning Chickens is something you’re thinking about for this year but you want some more information on what it actual entails, please contact us at kirk@higheroakfarm.co.uk and we’d be happy to help!

Planting Our Orchard

This past week we’ve been planting our new orchard. The trees we bought are about 10 years old and a mixture between Pear, Apple, Cherry and Plums. We picked these fruits, not only for our benefit, but also for the chickens. When the trees start to drop fruit, we’ll let the chickens roam around and collect the fallen fruits, while also fertilising the soil to help the trees.

We’ve recently also had 4 bee hives brought to our farm by a local man who loves the bee-keeping process. Having the bees around will be a bonus for our fruit trees next summer! We tried this year to grow Pumpkins, which relies on the pollination of the flowers to create the fruits. We were mildly successful with 9 fully grown pumpkins just in time for Halloween, but having the bees around for next year will be a massive bonus!

Pumpkin Season

Yes, it's Halloween! Having pumpkins around, as well as great for carving are also amazing nutrients for your chickens!

There’s loads of different ways you can feed pumpkins to you chickens, you can literally hang it up from the roof of the coop and let them all peck at it. You can slice it up to make it a bit easier for them or you could make them a ‘Poultry Pie’. Your flock will love it all regardless!

Higher Oak Farm featured in My Countryside Magazine

Higher Oak Farm and our very own Kirk Robertson were featured in this months My Countryside Magazine. Check out the full article here...