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Swanage and PurbeckWalking Festival
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ChickenWhisperer
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BOURNEMOUTH’SFASHION STUDENTS
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Cover image: Walking towards Durdle Doorfrom St Oswald’s Bay ©Peter Booton
Cover Stories 30 Nurdling on the Ridgeway 40 Wimborne’s Bell-ringers45 Boho Bridport 52 Save Our Libraries60 Good Life at Kingcombe65 Chicken Whisperer76 Walking Festival 104 Portland Sheep 115 Royal Wedding Dress134 Fossil Festival
65 The Chicken Whisperer
5
Dorset Homes & Gardens 82 A Labour of Love The building of a
beautiful bespoke home in
Stalbridge
98 A Long-enduring Pleasure 50
years of gardening at Domineys
Dorset Places & Events11 Upfront News and views from
around the county
26 Social Diary Your events and news
45 Bridport’s Bohemian Side Officially
‘a happening town’
57 A Top Act at the Tivoli Charlie
North Lewis has transformed
Wimborne’s Tivoli Theatre
78 Where in Dorset? Find our mystery
village
130 What’s on around Dorset133 What’s on in Bournemouth134 Join the Marine Parade Fish meet
fossils in Lyme Regis
Property
15 Dorset Property Round-up The
inside track from some of the
county’s top agents
Walking in Dorset
72 Yetminster and Chetnole 74 Houns Tout and Chpaman’s Pool 76 Swanage and Purbeck Walking
Festival
124Brian Graham
134FossilFestival
dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk 65
The Chicken WhispererAnne Weymouth, co-owner of Flyte So Fancy inPulham, gives her top tips for anyone considering‘keeping a few hens’
Treasured amongst my childhood
memories are the many happy
moments spent collecting warm
eggs from the hen house and helping my
mother as she turned these perfect little
miracles into delicious cakes, or tucking
into a freshly laid soft-boiled egg and hot
buttery soldiers.
Starting knee-high or should I say
cheek-to-beak with my parents’
chickens, over the ensuing years our
own flock has grown to include three
children, a gaggle of geese, a pond full
of dabblers, ‘seasonal’ turkeys and, at
last count, over three dozen chickens of
all shapes, sexes, colours and sizes.
Keeping a few hens in the garden is a
wonderfully rewarding pastime for both
grown-ups and children, providing of
course you devote the same time and
forethought as you would when bringing
a dog or a cat into your family.
The first step is to decide upon
which types of birds you would like to
keep. Broadly speaking, chickens come
in three sizes: the diminutive bantam, the
more robust medium-sized birds and
finally the matronly ‘large fowl’, which
tends to include the more time-honoured
varieties.
Within these size ranges fall a myriad
of modern and traditional breeds, some
noted for their egg-laying abilities, some
for their docility and some purely for their
beauty. Whilst we would love a single
breed to exemplify all these virtues,
nature just doesn’t work that way, so
here are some simple pointers.
If your priority is egg production
alone then you can’t go wrong with a
modern hybrid such as Black Rock. If
child-friendliness is top of your list then
cuddly Orpingtons, docile Welsummers
or affable Brahmas are good choices.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of
course, but I just adore the Wyandotte
varieties for their beautifully intricate
feather patterns.
Keeping rescue hens is
all the rage at the moment,
and whilst this is a noble
pursuit they can require
special care
Phillip and Anne Weymouth, Owners of Flyte So Fancy
Gypsy Willow Hen House madein the workshop in Pulham
66
Keeping rescue hens is all the rage at
the moment, and whilst this is a noble
pursuit they can require special care. If
you are considering this path contact the
British Hen Welfare Trust (bhwt.org.uk)
who can advise you. Whatever you
decide, never be tempted to buy on a
whim and avoid auctions unless you are
an expert. My advice is to visit a
reputable breeder; you can find a list on
our website.
The welfare of all animals in our care
is paramount. A cheap, leaking, draughty
hen house simply will not do. Whilst
reasonably hardy creatures and fairly
tolerant to the cold, chickens hate damp
and draughts. Their health will soon fail if
kept in such conditions, so a dry, well-
designed, draught-free but well-
ventilated house is the answer. The floor
should be liberally scattered with
chopped hemp or wood shavings (never
hay) and there should be at least one
similarly lined nestbox for every four to
five hens. It is essential that the house
should be very easy to clean and also
solidly built to keep potential predators at
bay. Wood is by far the best material for
housing as it breathes, thus preventing
damp, it has in-built antibacterial
properties and is ecologically sound
when sustainably sourced. Where there
are exterior screws, nails and fittings, go
for galvanized, stainless steel or solid
brass.
An important consideration in
choosing a hen house is whether your
‘girls’ will be permanently enclosed or
free to range your garden. Many keepers
opt for a compromise arrangement,
choosing a house with a run but letting
There is a myriad of modern and traditional breeds,
some noted for their egg-laying abilities, some for their
docility and some purely for their beauty
GingernutRanger(Rhode IslandRed Crossedwith LightSussex)
Maran cross with Cream LegbarBrahma Cockerel
Wyandotte outside aHobby Hen House
dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk 67
their ladies roam free when convenient.
Runs and pens come in all shapes and
sizes, but whilst chicken wire will keep
chickens in, it won’t keep predators
such as foxes out – so look instead for
strong, galvanized Weldmesh.
Your feathered friends will need
access to water and food; I recommend
Layers Pellets at all times during daylight
hours. Feeders and drinkers should
never be placed inside the house itself
as this will simply create problems with
damp. Grit should also be provided if
your girls don’t have access to their own
supply in the garden, they have no teeth
with which to chew! Also you can
scatter a few handfuls of mixed corn
each day as a tasty treat.
All chickens love to forage and one
of the greatest pleasures of ownership is
watching them do so. If they have a
reasonable area of grass allocated they
will spend many a happy hour aerating
the lawn, raking up the moss and filling
themselves with delicious grubs, and
your baskets with wonderful eggs!
Your Chickens
The brand new magazine dedicated to serving
the back garden chicken keeper, a real family
magazine.
Be part of the chicken keeping boom, to
subscribe visit yourchickens.co.uk
25 free copies available on a first come first
serve basis, to order your free copy call
01392 888556 quoting DLYC
Anne Weymouth has been offeringfree, friendly guidance to beginners viaher Advice Line on 01300 345229 foralmost a decade. Information onreputable breeders, housing, nutritionand poultry friendly vets is available atflytesofancy.co.uk, where you will alsofind a great range of poultry housesand chicken coops.
Flyte So Fancy is based in the little
village of Pulham, betweenSturminster Newton and Dorchester(on the B3143) next to the main roadat the southern end of the village,beside the speed limit signs. The shopis open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri and 9am-4pm Sat, closed Sundays.Flyte So Fancy Ltd, Pulham, Dorchester,T2 7DX 1300 345229. Email [email protected]
All chickens love to forage and one of the greatestpleasures of ownership is watching them do so
Brahma Cockerel
Further Information