That would be the Seychelles, our hens, are rocking their egg laying despite these short days. We thought they deserved not only a little gratitude and moment of glory but perhaps a proper introduction.
Name: Seychelles
Why? The 2019 naming scheme was Countries. When people were suggesting country names, the Seychelles came forward earlier, and we knew right away that it should be held for the pullet chicks when they arrived, the future egg layers needed that name.
And while our hens lead a decent life through the winter, hanging out in big barn (aka Winter Palace) with the pigs, in truth they may not mind a winter visit to their namesake, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Fortunately for all of us, they don’t know how to book that trip.
Breed: Blue Plymouth Rock
The Seychelles are a cross between two heritage breeds: a Plymouth Barred Rock Hen and a native Andalusian Rooster. It is a cross done by the folks at Art’s Hatchery, a small operation that is part of a familial group of hatcheries in Pennsylvania that includes the folks where we get our Freedom Ranger meat birds. They maintain their own breeding flocks and we’ve been consistently impressed with the quality of the chicks we get from them.
There are 2, ok maybe 3, really notable characteristics of this group of hens.
- They lay big eggs, in fact some of the hens are just over-achievers
- They have beautiful plumage, all a smidge different, but really lovely
- They were addicted to our spruce trees as their preferred roosts
And winter hasn’t really phased them much, they steal food and the best bits of hay from the growing pigs, but a few are laying eggs in the pigs shelter in exchange. They hang out inside or out, as suits them depending on the weather and depending on where the treats get distributed.
And as lovers of delicious, vibrant yoked eggs, we are thankful for their vigorous laying throughout these short winter days. We hope you enjoy as well.
