Grass Snake rescue
We had a visitor here at the weekend!🐍
We were alerted by a commotion in the chicken barn and found this grass snake slithering along the corridor. It was very lucky to have escaped the chickens as they certainly would have killed it! It was excreting a very strong smell (resembling rotting flesh) which apparently they do when in distress🤮 We carefully removed it from the barn and placed it in the undergrowth in a quiet area of the farm.🐍
We are open 10am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays. Come and say hello to the chickens! 🐓🐔
Hybrids
Our new flock of Hybrid hens are settling in nicely 🥰🐔
Something seems to have unsettled the ‘boys’ in the barn! Could it be the arrival of lots of new ladies?? 😂🐓
#cockerals #chickens #hens #poultrylife #poultrykeeping #pointoflay #farmshop #allotmentuk #countrylife #sustainableliving #fresheggs #chickensofinstagram #roosters #chickensaspets #countryliving #rother #1066country #henleydiwn }Catsfield
Hive Assembly Course
Our Beekeeping tutor, Oliver, will be joining us again on Sunday 7 April for our 'Build a Beehive' day. This is a fun, practical day spent learning how to assemble a beehive from a flatpack kit. All tools, fixings, and flatpack hive parts are provided. You will take home a fully assembled British-cedar national beehive and frames worth around £200!
He will also be here for our popular Bee keeping taster day on Saturday 6 April.
Full details available on the website.
https://www.mantelfarm.co.uk/product-category/training-courses-workshops-and-events/bees-and-beekeeping-courses/
#beekeepinguk
Blue Monday
Here's a few chickens to brighten up your Blue Monday! 🐓🥰
We have two more Beekeeping taster days coming up this year - Sunday 24 September and Saturday 21 October 2023.
This is a great day if you are thinking about keeping bees, we will discuss beekeeping today, the apiary set up, why bees and other pollinators are so important, look at different types of hives and take a look inside a working beehive.
If you are looking to get a hive we also have a 'Build a Beehive Day' on Sunday 22 October, where our experienced tutor will guide you through building your own hive from a flatpack.
Full details available on the website:
https://www.mantelfarm.co.uk/product-category/training-courses-workshops-and-events/bees-and-beekeeping-courses/
RESPEGGT Hens
Our new RESPEGGT hens have now arrived!
We are really excited to be one of the first chicken suppliers in the UK to offer RESPEGGT hens - These hens have been sourced through the new Respeggt programme, meaning the male chicks are not hatched thus saving them from an ethically questionable fate. Respeggt aim to substantially contribute to ending chick culling using the latest technology and the hens, eggs and products are already available under their trademark in Europe, however these are the first hens to be reared in the UK. We are therefore really keen to support and encourage this change to our industry, and hope you will join us by keeping our RESPEGGT hens.
At the moment the only hens available under this programme in the UK are the Brown Pullets. These hens have always been our favourite, being great layers with a very good, docile temperament - perfect for back garden layers. If we all show enough interest in this important change then we hope next year to also be able to offer the coloured hybrids and pure breeds under the same programme.
#respeggt
Mantel Farm Apiary - Did we have a June gap?
In the latest of our Mantel Farm Apiary videos Josh and Roger discuss the 'June Gap'.
Sadly, you are unable to see our birds at the moment when you visit the shop but they are all being very well cared for behind the scenes. We are just outside of the 3km Avian Influenza protection zone but we have moved all of our birds back in to the barn with a covered outside area for them to explore. Here's Josh giving them their evening corn 🐔🐓
Apiary notes 13 April 2022
Roger and Josh take a thorough look at our two colonies in the Apiary. 🐝🐝
#beekeeping #bees
Beekeeping with Josh and Roger 30 March
Josh and Roger check out the Apiary 30 March. 🐝
#beekeeping #bees
Apiary Inspection 17 March
Josh and Roger carry out a full inspection of the hives. 🐝
Have you considered keeping quail? They make lovely little pets 🥰. Our first flock will be arriving next month and we are taking reservations on the website:
https://mantelfarmshop.co.uk/Poultry/Quail
#quail #poultry