Free Range Laying Hens visit

I went to lectures this afternoon followed by a visit to a "Free Range Egg Production Unit" ...Birchgrove Welsh Free Range eggs out near Trawscoed.

We were given bio-security overalls + boot covers, shown around the sheds and stroked the chickens!
There were chain feeders and auto drinkers throughout the sheds so they had constant access to feed with nest boxes along one side which were astroturfed with eggs rolling off and onto a conveyor belt.

Everything was suspended from the ceiling so that they can push a button and all the feeders, drinkers and nest boxes all raise up to the roof, the slatted boxes you can see down the middle are collapsed, and they can drive a mini quad/tractor in to push out all the dirty bedding!

The eggs are laid in the astro turf nest boxes in the middle of the shed, which rolls along like a conveyor belt + the eggs roll out:

They have the grading, stamping and packaging machines there and distribute themselves all over Wales and around Aberystwyth in retail stores.

Out of the shed and outside to the range:

They have 10 acres for 3000 chickens - legislation allows double that but there was a lot of space for them outside..

We were able toask questions at the end - I was interested in vaccinations and worming regime they used, she couldn't remember what they used until I prompted her with Flubenvet? - "Yes! that's it!"

They have a specialist poultry vet that flies around the UK in a helicopter he's so much in demand!!!

National Poultry Show 2010

Have been home and working again this weekend - at The National Championship Poultry Show 2010!

New hall this year, which is a lot bigger and is heated ... big change and decision for PCGB but it really paid off, with a massive increase on entries, sales pens and visitor numbers up. Chickens are the new 'in thing'.

You can see how big the hall is from the photos, then the sales pens were in another room in the corner ... something like 4000 chickens entered apparently. Then theres the turkeys, ducks, geese etc aswell!

Starters ... well done to Tasha. She got 1st, 2nd 4th with her girls, same with her boys and then Jack went on to Championship row. He came away with Champion Bantam Male, Champion Bantam Heavy Breed, Best of Breed and Wyandotte club special award! :)
Tasha got a 3 handled trophy! Really pleased for her, 2 years of breeding and she places on Championship row! Its like winning at Crufts!

The man himself:

The view from our stand, the Cochins:

Was working for Cotswold Chickens, selling tonics, feed, supplements etc. We had loads of people coming up to talk to us, ask for advice, buying things - nice to see people interested in it.

 Me + Clare on the Cotswold Chickens stand

 

We met up with Omleteers that came to the show on both days, was about 40 of them! Really nice to see everyone again, and to put faces to names of new people.

We seemed to be everywhere, walk round and always see someone you know, which was nice :

One lady who we didn't know came over just as we were packing up on Sunday and was chatting to us.

She said she'd been walking around all the stands all weekend, and the only stand that were always smiling and said Hello to everyone that came over was ours.

Thought it was a really nice thing to say :')

More photos! ... German Langshan:

Drop Moult! Probably where she's been kept inside for the last few weeks, then going into the hall she's just dropped her feathers, or it could be stress?

Green duck!

I soo wanted some Call Ducks, really cute and really small, they're just too loud ... hence the name.

Call Drake:

Serama Cockerel:
Can't really see how small he is from the photo, but look at how big the water cup is compared to him, and look at the next photo!
Told Mother I want one to take to Uni next year :P

Birchen Brahmas! They're huuge. Dad said he wanted some Brahmas/Cochins and a Buff Orpington. There was this trio in the sales pens, and a man came over asking if they were mine and would I split them so he could have just the cockerel ... was tempted to buy them to split with him but Dad wouldn't let me 'cos I'm not there to do intros!

Chocolate Wyandottes my friend Tom had his eye on :)

Clare + I got there early on Sunday to put our things on the stand and there were 2 escapees on top of their show cages. 2 Old English Game bantams!
He was a bit scared but she was really nice and let us stroke her. The stewards noticed 10 mins later and they were put back in their cages!

Oh, I was a winner too! ;)

I entered some eggs and 5 photos.

My Plymouth Rock (Nugget) egg got 1st!

Photo of Cilla the Silkie sitting on an easter egg got 1st, CLB boy photo got 2nd and my photo of Orville got 4th! :)

Moreton in Marsh Show

Have been in Moreton In Marsh this weekend - chickening again!

Working for Jude again, on the Cotswold Chickens stand :)

Up early to get there. Luckily they'd already set up the gazebo, shelves, housing + things yesterday, so we had to just had to put a few bits out, sort the eglus and cubes, install the chickens and go!

Inside the gazebo

Was on the stand with Jude, Anthony, Clare + Rosie. We had a proper card machine this time which worked really well.

Really different products were selling compared to Thames - these were proper chickeny people. We were busy all day though and took a load of orders, which is always a good thing. Nice to see people interested in keeping chickens!

Had a huge brown t-shirt with the logos on ... looked like a dress on Clare! :P

Have a chest infection + on antibiotics, so shivering + then burning up all day, but was still good - think we need a chair at the next one though!

There was a poultry tent + show there, right behind us. Alice (my barred wyandotte)'s sister placed in her class! :) Tasha, who she's from said Alice is better, but has the wonky toe!
My Cream Legbar boy went to his new home too. Pre-arranged to meet a lady there so she came and collected him + hes gone to live with her girls :)

We saw Alex James from Blur there, he came over and said Hi, said he was interested in getting an eglu so gave him a brochure. We recognised him but didn't realise who it was until someone said!

Thames Show - Cotswold Chickens

Another chicken show this weekend! :)
At the Thames Show with Cotswold Chickens.

Left the house at 5am! Got to the showground at half 6, and met Jude, ... and Anthony.
It was tipping it down with rain .. luckily they'd already set up the marquee yesterday and dropped off the Omlet houses.
We started unloading all the tables out the van then got onto the boxes - there were 1000s of them! I think the whole shop was there, and then more ... was stuff everywhere.

We had a classic, Go and cube so I set those up and put chickens in them - they took a wooden coop with them too.
Sold a load of chicken tonics, gifty items and took a few orders for eglus and cubes too. We even sold the wooden coop, cube and all the chickens we took with us ... had to carry the cube across the showground to a mans car though, heavier than it looks! So it was well worth them having a stand for all that, and raises interest too :)

The show finished at 6 so we started packing everything up, even though we'd sold so much stuff it still took an hour and a half!!
Got home just before 9

CLA Game Fair - Day 2

Left the house just after 7 this morning to make sure we were there on time - which we were early 'cos there was less traffic than yesterday!

Was on the stand with Clare from Omlet again, her OH and son, and then Karen off the forum.

Sold 2 cubes today :)
One man was really nice - made sure he took my name so that he could phone Omlet and mention that he spoke to me! :D
We got 3 eggs from the chickens today, but then someone stole one egg out of the cube!!

Got back at 20 past 8, really tired now!

CLA Game Fair - Omlet

I was working at the Omlet stand again today, this time at the CLA Game Fair in Alcester, nr Warwick. It took soo long to get there - left the house at 20 past 7 and got there just after 9 ... sat-nav said we should be there at 8.15 when we left! It was a stand-still for the last few miles, luckily we left enough time.

Was on with George from Omlet again, and Diane :)
George has pretty much put up the eglus and cubes, so I just put the shades on, took the chickens out the crates into the Cube and Classic, fed and watered them and put out the leaflets.

We sold 3 cubes and a beehaus - I didn't take the orders but pretty much sold a cube and a half, then there were 2 couples that said they will book later in the year.

There was another chicken stand next to us - Smith Sectional - they had some really good coops and were really nice people ... met Sheila off the forum too :)

Gardeners World

Second day at the Omlet stand at Gardeners world today :)
Up early and there for about half 8 - I already had my ID pass so could just walk in.

Was on with George from Omlet, Sarah (who I already know) and Karen from the forum.

Between us we sold 2 cubes, a classic and a Go - mine were the pink classic and green Go :)

Saw some other friends off the forum there too! DebC, Emma and Cheryl. Then Louise from the turkey farm's sister came and asked about fitting turkeys in an eglu - I think George was a bit shocked but then realised I knew them :P

BBC Gardeners' World 2010

Second day at the Omlet stand at BBC Gardeners World and Good Food Show today :)
Up early and got to the NEC for about half 8 - I already had my ID pass so could just walk in and set up the stand.

Today I was working with George from Omlet who delivers their housing all over the UK, Sarah (who I already know) and Karen who I've spoken to on the forum.

Between us we sold two Cubes, a Classic and a Go - mine were the pink Classic and green Go so was happy with that.

We saw some other friends off the forum there too; DebC, Emma and Cheryl!
Then Louise from the turkey farm's sister came and asked about fitting turkeys in an eglu - I think George was a bit shocked but then realised I knew them!

Omlet Stand - Gardeners World and Good Food Show

First day at the Omlet stand today!
We were at BBC Gardeners World and the Good Food Show, at the NEC. Got there at half 8 and met Clare from Omlet to collect my ID pass to get in.
Diane was there too, who I already 'know' from the forum, so was good to finally meet her - met someone else off the forum called Redbug, who just came to have a look at the stand :)

We were on a big astroturfed pitch, with the products set up on it: an eglu classic, eglu Go, a cube and a beehaus.
Was good to have a proper look at the beehaus too - I'd seen it before when we went to Grand Designs last year. Managed to talk people through it all, hopefully picked up a few bits from reading the website and the forum, and we have brochures to hand out with all the info in too.

Adam Henson from Adam's farm on Countryfile was there! He walked past the stand and said Hi! :)
Andi Peters off the telly was there too presenting the Good Food Show bits, Quin off the stand had his photo taken with him yesterday! lol

Was a good day - we sold 5 cubes between us - I took the orders for 2 and practically sold another but didn't take the order.
Had to convince 2 little girls parents that a Go with 2 ducks would be a good idea :P

BBC Gardeners' World Live 2010

I was contacted by Omlet a few weeks ago about working on their exhibition stand and today is my first day!
We were at BBC Gardeners World Live and the Good Food Show, at the NEC in Birmingham. I arrived at 8:30 and met Clare from Omlet to collect my security pass and find the stand.
Diane was there too, who I already 'know' from the forum, so it was good to finally meet her and we met someone else off the forum called Redbug, who just came to have a look at the stand :)

We had a huge stand on a big astroturfed pitch, with the products already set up when I arrived: an Eglu Classic, Eglu Go, a Cube and a Beehaus.

It was good to have a proper look at the Beehaus too - I'd seen it before when we went to Grand Designs last year and James (one of the designers from Omlet) demo'd it to me, if anyone knows about the product its him!

I've been doing some reading on their website and forum so I knew enough about the product to explain it to people and we have brochures to hand out with all the info in too. Any specific questions we refer them to the website or they can call Omlet for a chat.

Adam Henson from Adam's Farm on Countryfile was also at the show, he was walking past the stand and came over to say Hi! :)

Andi Peters off the telly was there too presenting the Good Food Show bits, Quin off the stand is a big fan so ran over and had his photo taken with him yesterday! haha
Was a good day - we sold 5 Cubes between us - I took the orders for 2 and practically sold another but didn't take the order.

I had to convince two little girls parent's that a Go with two ducks in would be a good idea and I think a did a good job as they ended up buying them one!

Aberystwyth University Merit Award

I got a letter from Aberystwyth University earlier about the two entrance exams I did a few weeks ago...

I got a cheque for £48 for going to the visiting day and I have gained a "Merit Award".

Basically I have unconditional offers to study Animal Science or Zoology at Aberystwyth so I don't have to get great A-Levels and £1,000 for going there!

Raaather excited!